First signed in 1886, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is still the cornerstone of international copyright law. Set against the backdrop of Canada’s development from a British colony into a middle power, this book reveals the deep roots of conflict in the international copyright system and argues that Canada’s signing of the convention can be viewed in the context of a former British colony’s efforts to find a place on the world stage. In this groundbreaking book, Sara Bannerman examines Canada’s struggle for copyright sovereignty and explores some of the problems rooted in imperial and international copyright that affect Canadians to this day.
“some have argued that imperial and international copyright long ago stacked the deck…to keep Canada in this subordinate trade position, with ensuing cultural ramifications…[curtailing] both the publishing industry and Canadian autonomy.
These events were touched on in my book The Beginnings of the Book Trade in Canada [1985], but Sara Bannerman of McMaster University treats them in greater depth and in an appropriate international and political context. These crises, “the struggle for Canadian copyright,” probe the question of how much autonomy a small nation retains in domestic, imperial, and international law.”
“…the most thorough account of the remarkable story of…the struggle for Canadian copyright autonomy, never completely resolved…”
George L. Parker – Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada 52 no. 2 (2014): 457-459.
“The Struggle for Canadian Copyright is a rare contribution: a political history of imperial and international copyright from a Canadian perspective. Sara Bannerman has produced a richly researched, well-written, and original account.”
David Vaver – Emeritus Professor of Intellectual Property & IT Law at the University of Oxford and Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Osgoode Hall Law School
“The Struggle for Canadian Copyright is an excellent starting point for any individual looking to conduct research into the history of Canadian copyright…It is well written and clearly presented and draws attention to the historical significance of events and how they would shape Canadian policy in later years.”
Cindy Chow – Saskatchewan Law Review, vol. 77, 2014, pp. 119-121
The Struggle for Canadian Copyright is “un travail fondamental, parce qu’il ouvre un nouveau pan de la connaissance historique sur un sujet d’une grande importance. Il s’agit donc d’un ouvrage de référence qui ne nous épargne aucune des complexités et des incohérences particulières au domaine du droit d’auteur.” [Bannerman’s book will enlighten anyone who wishes to understand the origins of Canadian copyright policy. It is a fundamental work because it opens a new sphere in historical knowledge on a subject of upmost importance.It is a reference work that spares us none of the complexities and inconsistencies unique to the field of copyright (Bannerman’s translation).]
Claude Martin – Canadian Journal of Communication 40 no. 4 (2014)(3 pages).
“A much-needed summary of the various international copyright conventions, their changing terms, and their influence on Canadian policy over the last one hundred plus years.”
C. Ian Kyer – Counsel to the Toronto office of Fasken Martineau
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