Artists Lose Copyright Lawsuit With National Gallery

Canada's 20,000 visual artists have been exploit with a legal body impact in a landmark court judgment that efficaciously bans them from passing minimum display and other copyright-related charges with the National Gallery of Canada. The Federal Court of Appeal judgment applies only to government institutions, but an interpreter for the artists' association that demanded the National Gallery over the fees says it has the likely to affect financial plannings between artists and galleries across the nation.

Canadian Artists Representation (CARFAC) and its Quebec partner, Le Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels du Quebec (RAAV), were trying to talk over a legally-binding minimum copyright regulation with the gallery for use of artists' work, including display fees and a work's use in catalogues, postcards or other commodity. The lawfully-binding minimum fee would have been a basic for Canadian artists and galleries. When the gallery scrapped to talk over