Unlocatable Copyright Owners
Not all copyright owners are easy to find. That's why Canada's Copyright Act gives the Copyright Board a special power: in cases where a copyright owner simply cannot be located, the Copyright Board is authorized to stand in his or her place and issue a licence.
For many years, Access Copyright has supported the Copyright Board in its duties to unlocatable copyright owners, supplementing search efforts, recommending licence terms, holding royalties for missing copyright owners and continuing to search for these owners. Under the Act, the copyright owner is entitled to come forward and claim royalties collected up to five years after the expiry of a Copyright Board licence.
In 1999, Access Copyright's role was formalized in a memorandum of understanding with the Copyright Board.
Please click here for our current list of unlocatable copyright owners for which Access Copyright currently holds royalties.
If you are one of these copyright owners, or think you know one of them, please email us.