Copyright is a complicated subject with implications for any artist who shares work online. Recent court cases with Canadian artists emphasize the importance of understanding copyright. Sharing and downloading digital media has never been easier. Presenting and accessing creative works—art, photography, video, writing, music—has important implications for how we choose to showcase our creative output in a digital world. But how do we know what’s fair for us to use and, whether we need to protect our own creations? From understanding copyright and its applications for creators to fair dealing and fair use, lawyer and copyright expert Martha Rans reviews and demystifies the shifting legal landscape that every artist needs to be familiar with.

Who should attend? All creators: visual artists, media artists, composers, writers, performing artists, photographers, and more, and anyone interested in legal issues around copyright.

Martha Rans

A true believer in community and a passionate advocate for the arts, Martha Rans is a lawyer who has provided advice to artists in all disciplines for over 20 years. She is co-founder and Legal Director of Artists’ Legal Outreach, a legal advice clinic providing advice to artists in all disciplines.

Her Vancouver-based law practice specializes in the legal needs of non-profits, charities and digital creatives. She spent 10 years as labour employment and human rights lawyer/mediator with the B.C. and Ontario governments. She has appeared before administrative tribunals, and provincial and B.C. Supreme Court. She advises on charity law, incorporation, governance, privacy, employment, labour, health & safety and human rights. Her advice is practical and strategic, tailored to the needs of her clients.

A recognized expert in copyright and its impact on artists, Rans appeared before the Legislative Committee on Bill C-11 in March 2012. She teaches copyright to the next generation of artists and designers at Emily Carr University of Art & Design.

Read more about Martha and her valuable work at her website.

Monday, June 27 | 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Gabriola Arts & Heritage Centre — 476 South Rd.

$25 per person

applications have now closed