Dominion and Agency: Copyright and the Structuring of the Canadian Book Trade, 1867-1918

by Eli MacLaren

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Published: October 2011

Product Details

Imprint: University of Toronto Press

Series: Series: Studies in Book and Print Culture

Page Count: 224 Pages

Dimensions: 6.24 x 9.29

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224 Pages, 6.24 x 9.29 x 0.83 in

Hardcover

$61.00

ISBN: 9781442643215

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Description
Authors
Contents
Reviews
Subjects

The 1867 Canadian confederation brought with it expectations of a national literature, which a rising class of local printers hoped to supply. Reforming copyright law in the imperial context proved impossible, and Canada became a prime market for foreign publishers instead. The subsequent development of the agency system of exclusive publisher-importers became a defining feature of Canadian trade publishing for most of the twentieth century.

In Dominion and Agency, Eli MacLaren analyses the struggle for copyright reform and the creation of a national literature using previously ignored archival sources such as the Board of Trade Papers at the National Archives of the United Kingdom. A groundbreaking study, Dominion and Agency is an important exploration of the legal and economic structures that were instrumental in the formation of today's Canadian literary culture.

Eli MacLaren is an assistant professor in the Department of English at McGill University.

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Conceiving the 1875 Act, 1868–72: The Principles of Copyright
Achieving the 1875 Act, 1872–75: The London Publishers Prevail
Clarifying the 1875 Act, 1876–77: The Stunting of Belford Brothers
Living With the 1875 Act: William Briggs: Printer, Binder, Distributor
The 1900 Amendment, the Agency System, and the Macmillan Company of Canada
The North American Copyright Divide: Black Rock and the Magnification of Ralph Connor

Conclusion

Notes
Works Cited
Index

‘Eli MacLaren deftly guides the reader through the complex history of copyright in Canada… This meticulous study would be of interest to scholars studying book history and Canadian literature and history.’ Alison Rukavina, Modern Language Review vol 108:01:2013

‘Dominion and Agency should be essential reading for book historians and legal historians alike. It should also serve as a cautionary tale for contemporary Canadian policymakers as the vestiges of this history remain part of our copyright story to this day.’
Myra J. Tawfik, Papers of the Bibliographic Society of Canada vol 50:02; 2012

‘Eli MacLaren’s book deftly guides the reader through the complex history of copyright in Canada… This meticulous study would be of interest to scholars studying book history and Canadian literature and history.’ Alison Rukavina, Modern Language Review; vol 108:01:2013

History / Canadian History

Literary Studies / Book & Print Culture

Literary Studies / Canadian Literature