Access...an e-newsletter for Creator Affiliates

February 2012  

The University of Toronto and Western University announced on Monday, January 30 that they each reached an agreement with Access Copyright to allow their communities to reproduce copyright-protected materials in both print and digital formats.

"We believe that this agreement is fair for all the parties - those who create the materials, as well as students who gain access to copyright materials through the University," said Cheryl Misak, University of Toronto Provost. "This enables, within certain limits, reproduction of copyright material for students' use without concern for infringing on copyright restrictions."

"This agreement gives us a convenient, comprehensive way to share content digitally and in paper form from a repertoire of millions of publications," said Janice Deakin, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Western. "The backdating of the agreement gives us peace of mind by covering past digital uses that may have exposed the university and the indemnity provision increases the university's legal protection against copyright infringement."

Western and U of T will each pay Access Copyright a royalty of $27.50 per full-time equivalent student annually. This royalty includes what used to be a separate 10 cents per page royalty for coursepack copying, so there will no longer be a separate royalty for such copying. The new royalty is substantially below the amount initially sought by Access Copyright in its Tariff application before the Copyright Board.

This agreement will be in place until December 2013 and will renew automatically for one year terms during which any party can cancel or renegotiate the agreement based on six months notice.

"We welcome this opportunity to work in partnership with Western and U of T," said Maureen Cavan, Executive Director of Access Copyright. "The education and publishing industries depend on one another. An agreement that provides for usage of content, fair compensation to those that provide the content, with rules that favour sustainability, is in the interest of all players," said Ms. Cavan.

Over the course of the next year, a method will be jointly developed to assess the actual volume of copying of copyright protected materials which will assist in determining the appropriateness of the royalty structure in subsequent years.

On February 13, Bill C-11, the Copyright Modernization Act, passed second reading and was referred to a Legislative Committee. In its current form, Bill C-11 will have a devastating impact on writers and your ability to make a living, particularly through the addition of education as a new exception under fair dealing. You risk losing compensation for copying that takes place in educational institutions for which writers are now compensated.

The Bill is at the committee stage where it can be amended and in light of the federal government's express willingness to consider changes to the bill, now is the time for writers to speak out and ask that Bill C-11 be changed so that writers can be assured that the bill has their interests in mind.

To that end, the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) has a new online petition asking the government to makes changes to Bill C-11 that will allow writers to continue to make a living off their works and preserve a vital component of Canada's cultural industry.

Please take a few minutes to read the petition and add your name. Help us send a clear message to Ottawa that writers expect the government to stand up for them and protect their rights as cultural creators and for the right to a decent wage.

The payments you receive from Access Copyright are considered taxable income. As a result, Access Copyright tracks these payments and records the annual amount paid on a T5 slip or, for non-residents on a NR4 slip. The T5s and NR4s slips will be mailed out by the end of February.

If you have any questions about your T5 slip or if you want more information on your royalty payment history with Access Copyright, please contact our Affiliate Services department by email.

• February 3, 2012 - Access Copyright enforcement efforts result in six month jail sentence for Toronto copy shop owner 
• January 19, 2012 - Access Copyright seizes copyright infringing coursepacks from York University area copy shop

Want to use social media but aren't sure where to start? Do you already have a Facebook page and Twitter feed and want to give them some umpf to build your brand?

Michael O'Connor Clarke is just the person to help.  

Access Copyright is pleased to announce that social media expert Michael O'Connor Clarke will be presenting at our 2012 Annual General Meeting on Friday, March 23 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Toronto at 11:00 a.m.

To read more about what is in store for this year's AGM, click here. 

Access Copyright is pleased to announce a©e Creator, a comprehensive, password-protected web-based service that allows creator affiliates to access their content anywhere at any time. Store multiple file formats, archive, retrieve, repurpose and track your writing edits. Manage your entire collection of works in digital form from one secure location and maximize your earning potential.

For more information on a©e, please contact us at acesupport@accesscopyright.ca.

Direct deposit is a convenient, fast and secure way to receive your royalty payments from Access Copyright that also saves us money.

If you still receiving cheques from Access Copyright, why not sign up for direct deposit today?

Benefits of Direct Deposit

• Convenience. Your banking can be hassle-free. No more having to go to the bank and make a deposit. You don't have to worry about lost, stolen or misplaced cheques.
• Fast. Your money is electronically transferred into your account on time and is available to use instantly once the transfer is complete.
• Secure. Direct deposit is more confidential than paper cheques because fewer people are involved in the process.
• Cost Savings. Access Copyright saves money by printing and mailing fewer cheques. Thus, the savings are then passed on to you.

To sign up for direct deposit, all you need to do is fill out our enrolment form and send it to us, along with a void cheque, to One Yonge Street, Suite 800, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E5, Attention: Accounting.

Gerry McIntyre would describe himself as neither an optimist nor a pessimist. He is, to borrow the words of Thomas Hardy, a meliorist, someone who believes that things can be made better through human effort.

This kind of ethic has been at play since the introduction of Bill C-11, the Copyright Modernization Act, by the federal government on September 29, 2011. The bill is a carbon copy of Bill C-32, which died on the order paper when the government fell on March 25, 2011.

Click here to read more. 

The Public Lending Right (PLR) Commission gives a yearly payment to Canadian authors in recognition of the availability of their books in Canadian libraries. Authors, co-authors, translators, illustrators and anthology contributors are all potentially eligible for the PLR.

The registration period of this year's PLR payment will take place between February 15 and May 1.

If you are a creator who has not registered with the PLR Commission previously, you can register for the payment during the registration period. A registration form is available through the PLR website. The form must be completed and mailed back to the Commission by May 1.

If you are already part of the PLR Commission and wish to update your file with new works, please use the File Update form that you received from the Commission, and mail it back to them by May 1.

If you are already part of the PLR Commission and your contact information has changed, please use the File Update form that you received from the Commission, and mail it back by May 1. Alternatively, you can send your new contact details in writing to the Commission, including your PLR file number, or by phone.

Contacting the Public Lending Right Commission

Address: 350 Albert Street; P.O. Box 1047; Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5V8

Phone Number: 613-566-4378 (toll-free 1-800-521-5721)

Email: plr@canadacouncil.ca 

On December 21, 2011, Access Copyright affiliate and poet Fred Wah was appointed the new Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada.

Access Copyright's website is once again available in French.

To access the French site, which uses all the new features from last year's re-launch of our English website, please click on the Francais link on the right-hand corner of any page on our English site.

Visit our new French website today! 

The deadline to apply for a Research grant under the Access Copyright Foundation is February 22.

Research grants are available to creators, publishers and organizations to cover expenses for projects involving research related to the Canadian writing, publishing and visual arts fields that could lead to studies, programs, strategic projects and publishable Canadian works.

The Foundation has also announced the recipients of 2011 Event grants.  

Event grants are available to organizations that support Canadian creativity through events that aim to deepen appreciation and enjoyment of Canadian culture.

Access Copyright extends its condolences to the family of affiliate Joyce Barkhouse, who passed away on February 2 at the age of 98.

The Nova-Scotia based writer, best known for her 1989 novel Pit Pony, was one of the founders of Writers in the School, a program that brought writers into the classroom to help instill a love of reading and writers to young students.

In 2009, Ms. Barkhouse was awarded the Order of Canada. We had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Barkhouse days after she received the honour and published the talk in our November 2009 e-newsletter, which we are happy to republish in her memory.

Ms. Barkhouse will be featured as part of Every Voice Tells a Story, a new affiliate profile series launching soon.

Do you have adequate health coverage?

While government programs cover basic physician and hospital expenses for Canadians, it does not cover hospital stays where ward care is not offered. It doesn't pay for your prescriptions should you get ill or the cost of glasses and getting your eyes checked.

The cost of health care is rising. People are living longer and people are requiring more care over time and can't meet medical expenses on their own.

You may be healthy today but nobody knows what tomorrow will bring in terms of our health.

You can't put a price on "sleep at night" coverage.

When you have insurance you help prevent disease because you:

• take prescriptions when you should
• seek medical attention when you need it
• are more proactive in dealing with your health

The Writers' Coalition program -benefits you can afford!

• Not-for-profit insurer
• Unbeatable service - we only service artists
• Affordable, comprehensive coverage
• Convenience of a drug/dental card
• Medical is not required to purchase coverage

To enroll in the Writers' Coalition Program today, please visit the program's website or Facebook page.

Access Copyright is a proud member of the Writers' Coalition Program. As an Access Copyright affiliate, you are automatically eligible to join the program.

• New Interactive Web Service to be Launched in June by PWAC and its Partners
• Learn...Network...Discuss: Great Upcoming Events for Writers and Publishers 
• From the Literary Awards File
• Freedom to Read Week