Intellectual property lawyer responds to TC Media agreement

The new Transcontinental Media contributor agreement has raised a furor among freelancers over the past few weeks. TC Media, which publishes a variety of magazines including Canadian Living, Elle Canada, and The Hockey News, has increased the copyright demands in its new agreement and requires contributors to waive their moral rights. This week Story Board contacted Warren Sheffer — […]

Posted on March 8, 2013 at 9:15 am by editor · One Comment · Tagged with: , , , ,

An Open Letter to Transcontinental by Jay Teitel

  Dear Transcontinental Media: In the past decade or so online theft of intellectual property has become not just a problem, but a cause celebre, with a lot of people who should know better claiming that all information belongs to everyone, gratis, and that appropriating a piece of writing a professional writer has executed, and […]

Posted on March 4, 2013 at 6:00 am by editor · 4 Comments · Tagged with: , , , , ,

Transcontinental Media responds

Last month we told you about the new Transcontinental Media contributor agreement, an agreement that demands full copyright from freelancers as well as a waiver of moral rights. Story Board requested an interview with TC Media Senior Vice President Pierre Marcoux to ask about the reasons behind the changes to their agreement. We were granted […]

Posted on March 1, 2013 at 9:15 am by editor · 4 Comments · Tagged with: , , , ,

Transcontinental Media agreement expands copyright demands

There’s a new Transcontinental Media contributor agreement and it’s not going to bring writers any joy. The publisher, whose most popular titles include Elle Canada, Canadian Living, Style at Home, The Hockey News and Vancouver Magazine, has made significant changes to the 2009 version of their agreement – an agreement that led to a boycott […]

Posted on February 8, 2013 at 9:00 am by editor · 5 Comments · Tagged with: , , , , ,

The Born Freelancer explores copyright: Part 2

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments. Yesterday I looked at some ways freelancers can register and protect their copyright. Today I’d like to offer some options for how to find out […]

Posted on August 3, 2012 at 8:00 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , ,

The Born Freelancer explores copyright: Part 1

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? Your input is welcome in the comments.   It’s a heart-stopping moment.   You put your thoughts and soul into your work online, creating a project you hope will touch an […]

Posted on August 2, 2012 at 8:40 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , ,

A Pinterest primer for curious journalists and writers

Another social network. If you’re already fatigued by Tweeting, Facebooking and Tumblring every time you publish a new story or photo, the suggestion you should “pin” it too might sound downright exhausting (and redundant). But some news organizations and journalists on Pinterest—where users pin images and text to boards organized by subject—are finding it’s an […]

Posted on May 30, 2012 at 10:21 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,

Songwriters get an online royalty collection service — where’s ours?

Once your work goes online, keeping tabs on it can be a full-time job. If it pops up on an unfamiliar site, without your permission, what are your chances of getting paid? As we’ve heard on Story Board previously, it’s more likely you’ll see the work removed from the site than see any cash. TuneCore, […]

Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:43 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Masters of our (public) domain

A post by Michael Geist on his blog this week is spreading online and spurring debate about Canada’s public domain and who, exactly, benefits from it. Currently, works enter the public domain in Canada 50 years after the death of the author, which is less than in many European countries and in the U.S., where […]

Posted on January 13, 2012 at 11:02 am by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,

What do digital locks mean for you and your work?

Michael Geist is writing a series of posts called The Daily Digital Lock Dissenter. Beginning October 3 and right up to today, Geist is presenting the arguments that various organizations have made publicly against the idea of digital locks, which Bill C-11 would protect, making it illegal for Canadians to circumvent them. (More background on […]

Posted on November 21, 2011 at 3:29 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,