Above: The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announced that the Copyright Modernization Act, Bill C-11, had received royal assent.
Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators (CAPIC) recently announced that, due to the new Copyright law – The Copyright Modernization Act – all Canadian photographers in Canada now officially own the copyright to all of their work whether the photograph is commissioned or not, effective November 7, 2012.
The Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) also congratulated all Canadian photographers in Canada on this momentous milestone in the photographic industry.
The Copyright Modernization Act:
- Canada now has a modern copyright regime, which will play a critical role in protecting and creating jobs in Canada’s digital economy
- Includes a provision to award photographers first ownership on commissioned works; a right held by all other creators
- Canadian photographers now have all legal rights to their images
Did you know?
- There are over 14,000 professional photographers working and living in Canadian communities from coast to coast
- Over 95 per cent of professional photographers are small business people, owning, operating and working in their own businesses and dependent on sales of their work to support their families:
“Like all small business people, photographers are part of the engine that drives the Canadian economy.”
NEWS RELEASE
A Great Victory For Canadian Photographers
OTTAWA, November 7, 2012: At last, Canadian photographers own their copyright.
The Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators (CAPIC) would like to congratulate all Canadian photographers in Canada on this important date and pivotal achievement in the photographic industry. As of today, Canadian photographers now officially own the copyright to all of their work whether the photograph is commissioned or not, thanks to the new Copyright law.
The principle of protecting photographers’ ownership rights started 65 years ago by Henri Cartier-Bresson, who founded Magnum with Robert Capa and David Seymour. Magnum assured that a photographer’s image belonged to the photographer and not to the commissioner of the work.
In Canada, all other artists have already owned the copyrights to their work and thanks to this new law, Canadian photographers, albeit the last in the industrialized world, now have all legal rights to their images.
CAPIC has been working towards this monumental achievement in Canada for more than 20 years through lobbying efforts and could not have achieved this truly important mission without the support of its members, who have contributed financially, morally and offered countless volunteer hours towards this major effort led by CAPIC National Copyright Chair, Andre Cornellier.
The Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) were a valuable partner in this achievement as well as the lobbying firm Temple Scott Associates for their work in Ottawa.
”I would like to thank the team that worked so patiently and for so long,” commented Cornellier. ”Finally we have won a right due to us as artists. Thank you to Canadian photographers across the country for your support and patience and to André Amyot and Brian Boyle of PPOC for your work. It has been worth it.”
CAPIC will be providing more information on the direct effects of the law for Canadian photographers in the week to come as we celebrate this important Canadian achievement.
For more information:
André Cornellier
Copyright Chair
CAPIC, The Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators
andre@cornellierphoto.com
tel.: 514.933.4000