FAQs for Creator Affiliates
For information about Payback, please click here.
Who can become an affiliate of Access Copyright?
If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, outside the province of Quebec, you can affiliate with Access Copyright provided that you meet the following requirements:
- You own reproduction rights to at least one published work in print or digital format such as a book, magazine, newspaper or scholarly journal that is also commercially available.
- You are not already affiliated with any other reproduction rights organization (such as COPIBEC in Quebec).
- You are a writer, editor, translator and/or visual artist (i.e. illustrator, photographer, designer).
Visit our online affiliation portal for more details about our eligibility requirements for becoming an Access Copyright creator affiliate.
How do I become an affiliate?
Affiliation with Access Copyright can be done quickly and simply through our online affiliation portal. Complete applications submitted by December 31 will be eligible for next year’s Payback payment.
Is there a fee to become an affiliate?
No. Affiliating with Access Copyright is free. However, Access Copyright retains a percentage of royalties we collect to cover administrative costs. The percentage of this holdback is determined annually by our Board of Directors.
Do I need to send in a new affiliation application each year?
No. Once you are an affiliate, there is no need to renew your affiliation every year. It will not expire unless you submit written instructions for us to cancel your affiliation. However, we do occasionally update our affiliation agreement to offer more services. In this case, you may be required to sign a new affiliation agreement. When this happens, we will notify our affiliates that a new affiliation agreement is available.
Can I update my contact information online?
Yes, you can log in to the Creator Portal to make any changes to your contact information (mailing address, telephone number, email address).
How many published works do I need to have to be an affiliate?
You must have at least one work published in print or digital format for which your retain copyright. For more details, please click here.
Why has Access Copyright opened up affiliation to creators whose only works have been published in digital format?
We have extended our eligibility guidelines in recognition that the mediums in which creators produce their work has changed substantially and that getting work published in print form is no longer the benchmark to being considered a working creator.
When can I begin to claim works published solely in digital form for Payback?
All eligible creators will be able to begin claiming these works for Payback as of next year in addition to works that are published in print form, as usual. More information will be available in early 2023.
Should I let Access Copyright know when I publish new titles? Do I need to submit a complete works list?
We do not require a specific list of titles/works. If there is copying reported, we will update the Creator Portal. We do, however, ask for annual reports on creative output to calculate Payback.
We may contact you from time to time to confirm that you are the creator of a work that has appeared in our reports. As a result, we ask that you please let us know of any changes to your contact information as soon as possible.
If I'm Canadian, but am published primarily in the U.S. and U.K., is it still worth my while to affiliate?
Yes. Through reciprocal agreements with other reproduction rights organizations, Access Copyright affiliates are represented in other countries around the world, including the U.S. and U.K. These agreements ensure representation of Canadian authors and Canadian publications in other territories and also allow us to represent foreign publications in Canada.
Can I become both a publisher and creator affiliate?
Yes, however, if you publish only your own material, you can only affiliate as a creator.
If I am a member of TWUC (or any other Access Copyright member organization), does that automatically make me an Access Copyright affiliate?
No. Being a member of an Access Copyright member organization does not automatically make you an affiliate.
What allocations are deducted from the licensing royalties Access Copyright collected?
Access Copyright's Board of Directors has approved three allocations from the licensing royalties we collect:
- An administrative holdback of 30% to cover Access Copyright's administrative and operational costs.
- An allocation of 1.5% of copyright licensing royalties towards the Access Copyright Foundation (allocation currently suspended).
Why is 15% of all licensing revenues directed to creator and publisher repertoire payments?
This allocation is made in recognition of the value that all our writer, visual artist and publisher affiliates bring to our licences and is distributed to them through Payback and the Publisher Repertoire payment.
Why am I receiving a royalty payment for the first time?
You may be receiving a payment for the first time if the amounts owing reached the minimum payment of $25. This amount was set by Access Copyright's Board of Directors in order to reduce administrative costs. You may also be receiving a payment for the first time if we recently located you or received your tax-identifier number.
Do my royalties include GST or HST?
The royalties you receive from Access Copyright do not include GST or HST. Access Copyright is exempt from paying GST or HST to creators under the Tax Act for Artists' Representatives (GST/HST) Regulations SOR/91-25. However, all royalties you receive from Access Copyright are considered taxable income. We will send you a T5 slip in February of each year.
Why does my statement show tax being deducted?
Some of the royalties we collect on your behalf come from other reproduction rights organizations (RROs) around the world and there may be a withholding tax at the source. Please contact affiliates@accesscopyright.ca for more information.
I receive my royalties from Access Copyright by cheque, but would rather receive them by direct deposit. How can I do this?
To sign up for direct deposit, please visit our website and download our direct deposit enrolment form.