Access Copyright, a national organization representing more than 8,000 Canadian creators and 600 publishers, is pleased with the Government’s tabling to amend and modernize the Canadian Copyright Act. “An amended copyright bill, which is modern, progressive and addresses today’s digital age, is something that Access Copyright has been anticipating for some time” says the organization’s executive director, Maureen Cavan. “We look forward to carefully reviewing the contents of the bill and hope that it ensures that content creators are fairly compensated when their works are used either in print or electronically. This in turn will encourage the production of new works for the benefit of businesses, educators and consumers.”

Access Copyright, The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, is a not-for-profit organization founded by Canadian creators and publishers to meet the needs of users of copyright protected works, while ensuring fair compensation for that use. Access Copyright works with organizations in all sectors to help them legally reproduce published copyright protected material through simple and cost-effective licences. In 2007, Access Copyright distributed over $23 million in royalties to copyright owners.