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Supreme Court ruling a victory for freelancers |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 12, 2006
OTTAWA -- The Canadian Freelance Union, (CEP Local 2040) applauds today’s Supreme Court ruling on digital copyright. The decision upholds the principle that authors have the right to benefit from the works they produce.
The court states: “The central issue on this appeal is whether newspaper publishers are entitled as a matter of law to republish in electronic databases freelance articles they have acquired for publication in their newspapers — without compensation to the authors and without their consent. In our view, they are not.”
Michael OReilly is CFU President. He said this ruling is an important step towards rebalancing the financial equation in the digital world.
“Freelance writers and journalists play an important role in telling the Canadian story,” says Michael OReilly, CFU President. “All we ask is to be compensated fairly for the use of our works. It is great to see the highest court in the land agreeing with us.”
Peter Murdoch, CEP’s National Vice-President (Media), says this ruling is an important victory for all communications workers in this country.
“Freelance writers fill the pages of Canada’s newspapers and magazines, yet they have been systematically cut out of the financial equation when their works are used online,” says Murdoch. “This ruling corrects past injustices, and also lays the framework for a more equitable financial arrangement in the future.”
CEP now urges publishers to follow, both the letter and the spirit of this ruling, by fairly compensating independent writers for all digital uses of their works. “The court is telling publishers to start treating writers as true partners, instead of simply trying to keep all the profits to themselves,” says Murdoch.
Background:
The ruling comes after more than 10 years of legal struggle by freelancers and led by Heather Robertson. It was more than a decade ago that Robertson and a small group of freelancers launched the class action lawsuit against Thomson Corporation. The suit claimed that Thomson was intentionally infringing on the copyright of independent writers and journalists by selling their works digitally. This was being done without permission and with no additional revenue flowing to freelancers.
For more information please contact: Peter Murdoch, 905-516-5720 or
Michael OReilly, President
Canadian Freelance Union (CFU)
CEP Local 2040
freelance@cep.ca 807-474-5343
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