Unlocatable Copyright Owners

Not all copyright owners are easy to find. That's why Canada's Copyright Act gives the Copyright Board of Canada a special power: in cases where a copyright owner simply cannot be located, the Copyright Board is authorized to stand in his or her place and issue a licence.

Access Copyright supports the Copyright Board in this task by providing research, recommending licence terms, holding royalties for missing copyright owners and continuing to search for unlocatable copyright owners. Under the Act, the copyright owner is entitled to come forward and claim royalties collected up to five years after the expiry of a Copyright Board licence.

In 1999, Access Copyright's role was formalized in a memorandum of understanding with the Copyright Board.

View our current list of unlocatable copyright owners for which Access Copyright currently holds royalties.

If you are one of these copyright owners, or think you know one of them, please contact our Distribution Services department at 416-868-1620 (toll-free 1-800-893-5777) or by email at affiliates@accesscopyright.ca.