Photogs hail surgical strike on rights issue in Senate
The Canadian Photographers Coalition has its hopes riding on a private senator bill, S-20, introduced by Liberal New Brunswick senator Joseph Day to address longstanding concerns over copyright ownership for shooters. The bill would repeal section 13(2) of the Copyright Act, which gives copyright ownership over pictures to a person who commissions the image, among other measures. John Harquail, of the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communications, credits the work of hired-gun lobbyists Temple Scott for moving the item into the Parliamentary process ahead of the full section 92 review of the Act now scheduled to begin possibly as late as next year (CNM, Dec. 13/01). Private senator bills are often a formality, and will usually receive Royal Assent following an abbreviated run through the House of Commons. “[The bill] certainly addresses the two main concerns we had, and, quite frankly, we were concerned that the review of the s.92 report seemed not to be happening with the leadership race and things are sort of in a state of inertia. We were quite concerned that it might just get lost in the shuffle and we’d be back in line for another four or five years,” Harquail tells CNM.

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