This compelling, often controversial appraisal of Canada’s place in the multilateral copyright system offers the first broad yet detailed history of international copyright from a Canadian perspective.

First signed in 1886, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is still the cornerstone of international copyright law. At the centre of The Struggle for Canadian Copyright is Canada’s experience with the Berne Convention. Set against the backdrop of Canada’s development from a British colony into a so-called middle power, this book reveals the deep roots of conflict in the international copyright system that continue to divide “developed” and developing countries. 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. Throughout the past century, Canada’s copyright policy has been used to project an image of the country as a good global citizen. 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.