Canada’s Online News Act received royal assent but is not yet law, though it is already stirring up controversy with Google and Meta saying news will no longer be available to Canadians on their platforms. Meta and Google have been in the news lately in response to Canada’s Online News Act … [Read more...]
Gambling in the Online Age
While gambling facilities must have a provincial license to operate, only government-operated websites offer legal gambling online. You have probably seen ads for online gambling websites all over the place - commercials, social media, even at the Superbowl. But did you know these websites are not … [Read more...]
Getting Your Film onto the Screen
So, you have an idea for a great movie and think it has “legs”. Where do you start? Let’s look at it like any product to be sold in the marketplace. To understand how to make and market your movie, there are three basic questions that you need to answer: What are you selling? Who is the … [Read more...]
Lights! Camera! Music!
For over a century, music has been used in film to not only enhance the viewing experience, but it has become very much an integral part of the film. For example, it is hard to imagine watching Star Wars without the score by legendary composer John Williams. Songs, by especially popular artists, can … [Read more...]
My Brain Needs a Rating System!
In the past few months, lack of access to my regular activities has “forced” me to make significant behavioural changes to my daily routine. Some people may have taken the opportunity to get in better physical shape or learn a new language. I will be the honest voice and admit that I have mostly … [Read more...]
The Art of Canadian Taxation
Jean-Baptiste Colbert said, “The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to procure the largest quantity of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing.” I suspect that this is the closest that most would equate tax and the arts. But the arts provide the livelihood of … [Read more...]
Fixing Canadian Crown Copyright
The federal Copyright Act establishes the legal framework for use of copyright-protected works in Canada. Under the Act, rights-holders have the exclusive right to reproduce and re-use substantial amounts of a work unless such uses fall under one of the statutory exceptions to copyright … [Read more...]
Copyright No Plaything: Celebrity Tattoos In Video Games
Tattooed celebrities are abundant; from Shawn Mendes’s fan-designed butterfly, to Drake’s “6 God” praying hands, to the elaborate artwork displayed on the bodies of professional athletes like basketball star LeBron James (by one account more than half of all active NBA players have tattoos) — the … [Read more...]
Know Your Rights: Copyright in Canada in the era of COVID-19 and beyond
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures hit Canada’s arts communities early, hard and fast. Even when present measures ease up, the return of performing artists to the stage looks to be a slow one. Some creators may use this time in isolation to craft new works, while … [Read more...]
