What is the issue?
All the challenges and concerns for authors in Canada are shared by our peers and colleagues around the globe. There is worldwide pressure on domestic copyright laws from increased lobbying for exceptions and limitations to our rights. We believe worldwide advocacy on behalf of authors and professional creativity is the answer.
What TWUC is doing
TWUC has long communicated with our colleague organizations in the U.K., the U.S., and Australia, and paid attention to the agenda at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
TWUC was one of the founding organizations in the International Authors Forum (IAF), an umbrella association headquartered at the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) in London, U.K. Since 2014, TWUC has chaired the IAF Steering Committee, and has engaged with every major advocacy initiative of the organization. The IAF now represents well over 700,000 working authors on every continent but Antarctica, and is a partner in WIPO for Creators, which means that never again will the rights and incomes of authors be debated or discussed by international lawmakers without authors being present and part of the discussion. The IAF has helped TWUC’s domestic lobbying by intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada and testifying before Parliament.
In 2020-21, TWUC Executive Director John Degen hosted a series of IAF panel discussions about creator rights, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the IAF and WIPO.
What you can do
Stay engaged with TWUC’s international advocacy by reading the Union’s regular communications. If your work is published in one of our partner countries, consider also joining their author association to better benefit from that market.
Further reading and viewing
- Society of Authors (U.K.)
- Authors Guild (U.S.)
- Australian Society of Authors
- World Intellectual Property Organization
- International Authors Forum
- Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society
- WIPO for Creators
- IAF’s Creating a Living report
- IAF’s Creating a Living webinar panel series:
- Public Lending Right
- Artist’s Resale Right
- Unwaivable Right to Remuneration
- Exceptions and Limitations to Copyright Balanced by Licensing
- Creating a Living in Latin America, parts one, two, and three
Stronger Together
TWUC’s advocacy is most effective as the collective voice of Canada’s professional authors. We are stronger together. If you are not already a member of TWUC and are working as a writer, consider joining the Union. If you wish to support TWUC’s advocacy outside of membership, consider donating to the Union.
TWUC’s advocacy is most effective as the collective voice of Canada’s professional authors. We are stronger together. If you are not already a member of TWUC and are working as a writer, consider joining the Union. If you wish to support TWUC’s advocacy outside of membership, consider donating to the Union.
