The Writers' Union of Canada endorses a new report on Access Copyright and is calling for the copyright licensing organization to change its distribution policies, as recommended by the report.

An independent analysis of Access Copyright undertaken by Toronto law professor Martin Friedland calls for greater transparency and “a fairer method of distributing funds” at Access Copyright. The report, delivered to Access Copyright one year ago and made public today, sustains criticisms that creator organizations have long leveled at the collective.

“This is an excellent study by an impartial expert. We commend Access Copyright for commissioning it. Licensing collectives perform a vital service to Canadians, and we look forward to seeing these improvements implemented at Access Copyright,” said Writers’ Union of Canada executive director Deborah Windsor.

Access Copyright distributes about $20 million a year from photocopying licenses to Canadian and foreign publishers and creators. Friedland finds its distributions are typified by a “high level of distrust,” “lack of transparency,” and “extremely complicated” processes, all of which compare unfavourably with standard processes at other licensing collectives in Canada and elsewhere. The report shows that publishers receive about 75% of Access Copyright’s Canadian distributions, a much larger share than at most comparable collectives.

Access Copyright commissioned Friedland’s study in 2006, after the Writers’ Union of Canada, the Professional Writers Association of Canada, the League of Canadian Poets, and Canadian Artists Representation, all voting member organizations of Access Copyright, called for an independent investigation and fundamental changes in how the collective distributes funds to creators.

Sustaining longstanding creator claims, Friedland recommends that Access Copyright should determine its own distribution policies and make payments to a much greater number of creators directly, rather than through publishers. The report shows Access Copyright could make payments to many more Canadian creators, including visual artists and authors of scholarly works.

Access Copyright makes payments to about 7000 creators annually. Friedland’s study found that Copibec, which has a similar role in the province of Quebec, distributes to twice as many creators in Quebec alone. Friedland was “impressed with the apparent fairness of the Quebec system.”

Writer Christopher Moore, who completed a six-year term on Access Copyright’s board of directors in 2007, called the report a blueprint for bringing Access Copyright into line with best practices at licensing collectives in Canada and worldwide. “This report vindicates the work of a whole generation of Canadian creators who have worked to improve Access Copyright.”

The Writers' Union of Canada is our country's national organization representing professional authors of books. Founded in 1973, the Union is dedicated to fostering writing in Canada, and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well being of all writers. For more information, please visit www.writersunion.ca.

- 30 -

For additional information
Deborah Windsor, Executive Director
The Writers’ Union of Canada
416.703.8982 Ext. 221
dwindsor@writersunion.ca

READ THE FRIEDLAND REPORT ON ACCESS COPYRIGHT HERE. (413 KB PDF)