CM Magazine: Canadian Copyright Law: The Indispensable Guide for Publishers, Web Professionals, Writers, Artists, Filmmakers, Teachers, Librarians, Archivists, Curators, Lawyers and Business People. (3rd edition).

________________ CM . . . . Volume VII Number 19 . . . . May 25, 2001

Canadian Copyright Law: The Indispensable Guide for Publishers, Web Professionals, Writers, Artists, Filmmakers, Teachers, Librarians, Archivists, Curators, Lawyers and Business People. (3rd edition).

Lesley Ellen Harris.
Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2001.
327 pp., pbk., $26.99.
ISBN 0-07-560369-1.

Subject Heading:
Copyright-Canada.

Professional.

Review by John Tooth.

***1/2 /4

Don't let this rather elongated and boastful title dissuade you. Canadian Copyright Law does have wide applicability to creators and to users, including educational institutions and libraries. If you have happen to have the 1st edition (1992) and/or the 2nd (1995), please discard immediately these out-of-date versions and acquire this new 3rd edition. Even though Canadian copyright reform moves at a snail's pace, recent significant changes/amendments to the Copyright Act related to exceptions for the users of copyright material are captured in this 2001 version of the book. Its author, Lesley Harris, is a well-known copyright lawyer and writer on Canadian copyright, including Digital Property: Currency of the 21st Century (1998) and The Copyright and New Media Law Newsletter, a paper periodical published four times a year.

Covering the concerns both of users and owners of copyright, Harris addresses intellectual property, Canadian copyright law, what can be copyrighted, how to obtain copyright protection, international copyright protection, what works are protected by copyright, duration of copyright, what rights are protected, the limitations on these rights, the exploitation of rights, what does copyright violation mean and what are the remedies, how does me use copyrighted material, a comparison of Canadian versus US copyright law, and issues related to digital copyright and electronic works. The information in these chapters is supported by case law when available. For a flavor of her writing, please review the Canadian Library Association's (CLA) Feliciter (Volume 47, No. 1, 2001) which published a three page excerpt from Harris' book.

The only comparable title is Wanda Noel's Copyright Guide for Canadian Libraries, published by CLA (2000, $44.95) with funding from Canadian Heritage. This title is designed specifically for users of copyright material in all kinds of libraries, with information presented in a clear, concise and easy to read manner. So, for school libraries, CLA's title is a must purchase. For all other types of libraries and educational institutions, both titles will need to be acquired.

Highly Recommended.

John Tooth is in a doctoral program at the University of Manitoba. While focusing on Manitoba social studies textbooks, he cannot escape a life sentence to copyright.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 25, 2001.