I am currently working on a comparative history of international copyright, covering the period from 1886 to 1971. The first phase of my work focuses on Canada and the United States, and specifically on the Canadian and American relationships to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. In the second phase of my research, I will focus on the histories of middle powers and the Berne Convention, beginning with Australia.

Most histories of international copyright focus on the more powerful members of the Berne Union, such as Britain, France, and Germany. Canada’s experience with the Berne Convention was very different from those countries. My work attempts to reveal the history of international copyright from the perspective of a smaller country and a net copyright importer.

I began with a review of Canada’s efforts to gain independence from Britain over its copyright legislation in the early twentieth century: although Canada became a signatory to the Berne Convention under Britain in 1886, Canada refused to implement the Berne Convention and unsuccessfully attempted to denounce the treaty. I then examined Canada’s decision in the 1920s to implement the Berne Convention. Thereafter, I focussed on Canada’s role at the major diplomatic conferences to revise the Berne Convention, including the four conferences that took place between 1928 and 1971.