First signed in 1886, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is still the cornerstone of international copyright law. Set against the backdrop of Canada’s development from a British colony into a middle power, this book reveals the deep roots of conflict in the international copyright system and argues that Canada’s signing of the convention can be viewed in the context of a former British colony’s efforts to find a place on the world stage. In this groundbreaking book, Sara Bannerman examines Canada’s struggle for copyright sovereignty and explores some of the problems rooted in imperial and international copyright that affect Canadians to this day.

“The Struggle for Canadian Copyright is a rare contribution: a political history of imperial and international copyright from a Canadian perspective. Sara Bannerman has produced a richly researched, well-written, and original account.” – David Vaver – Emeritus Professor of Intellectual Property & IT Law at the University of Oxford and Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Osgoode Hall Law School

This website hosts many of the original archival documents cited in The Struggle for Canadian Copyright.  See the ‘Documents’ page.