Copyright in Fire Insurance Plans
Abstract
Fire insurance plans are among the most valuable records documenting the development of Canada’s cities and towns during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Many of these plans are preserved in Canada’s archives and libraries. However, for nearly three decades, making copies for researchers and (more recently) digitizing for online access have been subject to a copyright “chill” as a result of the copyright claims of the companies that created these plans and their successors. This article recounts the history of Canadian fire insurance plans preserved in Canadian repositories and establishes their current copyright status in terms of ownership and duration. The article then explores the extent to which the copyright concerns are justified and offers possible solutions.
RÉSUMÉ
Les plans d’assurance incendie comptent parmi les documents les plus importants pour témoigner du développement des villages et villes canadiennes vers la fin du XIXe et au XXe siècles. Plusieurs de ces plans sont préservés dans les archives et bibliothèques canadiennes. Toutefois, depuis près de trois décennies, la photocopie pour les chercheurs ou (plus récemment) la numérisation pour un accès en ligne ont fait l’objet de limitations liées aux droits d’auteur découlant de revendications des droits d’auteur faites par les compagnies ayant créé ces plans et leurs successeurs. Cet article relate l’histoire des plans d’assurance incendie canadiens préservés dans les dépôts et établit la situation actuelle des droits d’auteur s’y rattachant en fonction de la propriété et de la durée. Cet article explore ensuite à quel point les préoccupations en matière de droits d’auteur sont justifiées et offre des solutions potentielles.
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication retain copyright in their work. They are required to sign the Agreement on Authors' Rights and Responsibilities that permits Archivaria to publish and disseminate the work in print and electronically. In the same agreement, authors are required to confirm that "the material submitted for publication in Archivaria, both in its paper and electronic versions, including reproductions of other works (e.g. photographs, maps, etc.) does not infringe upon any existing copyright." Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication retain copyright in their work and are able to publish their articles in institutional repositories or elsewhere as long as the piece is posted after its original appearance on archivaria.ca. Any reproduction within one year following the date of this agreement requires the permission of the General Editor.
