Monday 16 December 2013

Reactions to university decisions on Access Copyright

Last week, the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario (Western) announced they would no longer pay an annual collective royalty fee to creators through Access Copyright, the copyright licensing agency. The creators affected include professional writers and photographers who qualify, based on their published work, to receive annual Payback royalties from Access Copyright.

Here are some links to press releases and articles outlining the news and reactions from various writers' organizations:

PWAC: 
http://www.pwac.ca/files/PDF/UofTandWesternwalkaway.pdf

The Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC):
http://www.writersunion.ca/news/universities-toronto-and-western-ontario-refuse-pay-copies

Access Copyright: http://www.accesscopyright.ca/media/39538/2013_12_11_canadas_writers_and_publishers_disappointed_by_u_of_t_and_westerns_non_renewal_of_licence.pdf

Association of Canadian Publishers: 
http://publishers.ca/images/downloads/ACP-Statement-AC-licences.pdf

Canadian Magazines blog (for reaction and background): http://canadianmags.blogspot.ca/2013/12/u-of-t-and-western-back-out-of-paying.html

What are your views? Please leave a comment.