Red alert for the cultural sector

New agreement for elementary and high schools, new board of directors, new tools for teachers.

Executive Director's update

As many regions of Quebec go on red alert, the cultural sector must confine once again. Copibec continues to support workers in the cultural sector.

The Copibec team was progressively deconfining over the summer. With Quebec on alert, its team members are returning home and will continue to offer their services in teleworking while waiting for Public health authorities’ new directives.

New board of directors

We recently introduced our new board of directors, which was elected on our Annual General Meeting on September 17. The meeting, held virtually, provided an opportunity to identify the key issues facing the book industry today.

The many exceptions in the Copyright Act remain a priority issue for your copyright collective. Copibec will pursue its activities and its meetings with politicians in order to provide a fair compensation to creators for the use of their works.

We will also continue to develop our services and our capacity to generate revenues for rights holders in both the Businesses and Governments and Education sectors thanks to renegotiation of university and college licences.

Renewal of the MEES agreement

Copibec has also renewed its reproduction rights agreement for elementary and highs schools with the ministère de l’Éducation (MEES), effective until 2023. This agreement better meets the new needs created by the pandemic, particularly in terms of document sharing and distance learning. The annual royalty amount per student has been renegotiated to reflect these new uses.

Tools for teachers

New projects continue to flow despite the pandemic. Copibec, proud partner of the Prix des Horizons imaginaires, is very pleased to present three educational worksheets (in French) created by teachers for college students.

These worksheets (in French) are based on three novels, finalists on the 2020 edition of the award. Download them on the SAMUEL platform in the selection Fiches pédagogiques - prix des Horizons imaginaires.

Congratulations!

We would like to congratulate our colleague Jean-Philippe Bergeron, reporting Officer, who has recently won the Grand Prix Quebecor of the International Poetry Festival. Congratulations from the whole team!

We continue to follow current events very closely and will adapt our services to meet our clients' needs. To stay up to date, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We are also on LinkedIn: subscribe to learn more about copyright in a business context.

Good luck to all!

Frédérique Couette
Executive director

Copyright news from Canada and beyond

Red alert in Quebec: artists must confine again

The cultural sector is once again severely impacted by the pandemic. From concert halls to libraries, many sectors had to close their doors just a few weeks after reopening in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Read the article from Radio-Canada (in French).

GAFA costs Canadian culture $1 billion

According to a Canadian Heritage assessment, the internet giants could cause a loss of more than $1 billion to local culture if the Canadian Broadcasting Act is not revised. Minister Steven Guilbeault is expected to introduce legislation this fall.

Read the article from Le Devoir (in French).

Remuneration for media publishers: Google takes a small step forward

While the Australian government is requiring Facebook and Google to pay $600 million to media publishers for publishing their content, Google would only offer $10 million a year to Canadian media. This offer does not meet the expectations of key stakeholders.

Read the article from La Presse (in French).

Free legal information sessions

Have you heard of CreatiUM? It’s the Intellectual Property Clinic of University of Montreal.

What do they offer? Free legal information sessions provided by University of Montreal’s law students supervised by a lawyer-coordinator.

You can now have information sessions remotely via videoconference. Make an appointment! You can also follow their Facebook page.

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