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.