MONTREAL, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copibec, the Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL) and the Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ) are urging the federal political parties to make Canada's copyright law a key cultural priority. For the book industry, it is essential that the next government commits itself to reforming the law in order to remedy the effects of the 2012 amendments, which have resulted in significant losses of revenue for authors and publishing houses.
For several years, Copibec, ANEL and UNEQ have been stressing that the government must:
- Review the principle of fair dealing for educational purposes, a grey area allowing educational institutions to avoid paying royalties.
- Recognize the essential role of copyright collectives and the obligation to compensate authors and publishers for the use of their works.
- Respect Canada's international obligations and make Canada a model, rather than a bad example, for copyright protection.
Ensure the existence of a rich Canadian culture: a duty!
"The political parties have a duty to take a stand and commit themselves to rectifying this unacceptable situation. The Copyright Act must have more teeth in order to protect all revenues from the book industry, without exception," said Christian Laforce, Executive Director of Copibec. "Almost everywhere in Canada, educational institutions have stopped paying royalties.”
This reality jeopardizes the vitality, the diversity and the richness of Canadian culture, which allows our country to shine and distinguish itself here and internationally. "In terms of reproduction, exceptions have become common practice and cause authors and publishers to lose significant revenues," deplores Arnaud Foulon, President of ANEL. "These exceptions show us the disastrous consequences of a poorly designed law.”
The book industry needs a legal framework that guarantees the stability necessary to generate and increase investment in the creation of Canadian books. "Copyright is a source of essential revenue for authors. It is not a tax! The Copyright Act must protect the work of Canadian creators," insists Suzanne Aubry, President of UNEQ.
Copibec, ANEL and UNEQ therefore call on the various political parties to recognize the importance of copyright and to ensure its respect, in order to guarantee the existence of a rich Canadian literature.
About Copibec
Copibec is a non-profit social economy enterprise specializing in copyright management. It represents more than 30,000 authors and 1,300 publishing houses. It offers users of copyrighted material simple solutions adapted to their needs. Internationally, the collective has agreements with over 33 foreign societies to include books, newspapers and magazines from those countries in its repertoire. Its members include UNEQ, ANEL, RAAV, AJIQ, FPQJ, SODEP, Quotidiens du Québec and Hebdos du Québec.
About the Association nationale des éditeurs de livres
ANEL represents more than 110 French-language publishing houses in Quebec and Canada. Its mission is to support the growth of the publishing industry and to ensure the influence of Quebec and French-Canadian books on a national and international scale. The publishing houses that are members of the Association publish various types of works, from novels to textbooks, essays and children's books.
About the Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois
The Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ) is recognized as the representative association of artists in the field of literature and has over 1,600 members. The professional union has been working since 1977 to defend the socio-economic rights of writers and to promote Quebec literature in Quebec, Canada and abroad.
Source:
Kevin Charron
Coordinator - Communications, Copibec
k.charron@copibec.ca | 514 288-1664 ext. 249
Audrey Perreault
Communications Manager, ANEL
aperreault@anel.qc.ca | 514 808-5441
Jean-Sébastien Marsan
Director of Communications, UNEQ
jsmarsan@uneq.qc.ca | 514 849-8540 ext. 225
