Access Copyright – Call for Board Directors

Friday, September 16, 2022

Access Copyright has a rewarding opportunity for individuals looking to contribute to Canada’s creative economy in a Board Director capacity.

For over 30 years, Access Copyright has been a collective voice of Canadian creators and publishers, and their right to be paid for the reproduction of their work. We facilitate content use for educational and professional purposes so that users can customize published materials with an assurance that the original creators and publishers also benefit. When creators and publishers benefit, they can continue creating new and innovative works. In total, we have distributed over $470 million in royalties to rightsholders in Canada and around the world.

Through our creator-focused innovation lab, Prescient Innovations, Access Copyright is also dedicated to exploring the future of rights management and content monetization. We are one of the few organizations globally focused on exploring blockchain and exponential technologies from the creator’s perspective.

Why serving on the Access Copyright Board is right for you

Being an Access Copyright Board Director means you play a role in ensuring creators and publishers are fairly compensated for the use of their works in an increasingly digitally connected world. It also means joining a dynamic group of professional leaders in the worlds of academia, marketing, internet start-ups, publishing, writing and visual arts.

Directors make sure Access Copyright can carry out its social mission through determining policy as well as the organization’s strategic direction, making high-level decisions and providing guidance to senior management.

Access Copyright is a non-profit organization, and Board directors serve on a volunteer basis and receive a small honoraria on a semi-annual basis.

The Access Copyright Board meets quarterly. While Directors are encouraged to attend the Board meetings in person (Toronto) as often as possible, it is possible to attend the meetings virtually. Directors are also expected to attend the Access Copyright Annual General Meeting (in person or virtually). Additionally, directors serving on a committee(s) can also expect to meet virtually quarterly.

Additional Board and committee meetings may be called, as required, throughout the year with as much advance notice as possible.

If you have the passion, perspective and experience to contribute to Access Copyright, our Nominating Committee wants to hear from you, especially if you have background and experience in either of the following areas:

• Raising venture-capital funding in a start-up environment;
• The publishing sector.

As a Board Director you are:

• Interested in the current changes occurring in the creator and publishing world, including technology and digital issues;
• Passionate that creators and publishers should be fairly compensated while also sensitive and knowledgeable of the challenges and needs of content users;
• Adept at both strategic and lateral thinking.

It would be great if you also have:

• Knowledge of basic financial and investment practices for businesses;
• Demonstrated skills in communications, negotiations and listening;
• Previous experience as a Board Director;
• An understanding of copyright, and the current legislative and political environment;
• Knowledge of licensing and contracts, and how copyright collectives work;
• Demonstrated skills in lobbying, problem solving, policy making and risk assessment.

Access Copyright strives to be an inclusive and safe space for all, and to accurately reflect the diversity of the various stakeholders that we serve. We strongly encourage expressions of interest from people who are members of marginalized and/or underserved/underrepresented communities, especially individuals who identify with: First Nations, Metis, or Inuit, or people of colour; diverse gender and sexual identities (including LGBTQ2+); people living with dis/ability, etc.

How to Apply

Individuals interested in applying to serve on the Access Copyright Board are invited to send in a resumé and cover letter summarizing their qualifications to Access Copyright at info@accesscopyright.ca. The deadline for applications is Friday, October 21.

We thank everyone for their interest but only those selected for an interview by the Nominating Committee will be contacted.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a short assignment prior to an interview. The Committee will also conduct a reference check for shortlisted candidates.

Candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee as director candidates to the Board for a three-year term must be approved by Access Copyright’s membership at its 2022 Annual General Meeting on April 21, 2023.

Access Copyright is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities. If you require an accommodation, kindly let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.