Turning Strategy into Action Together
Annual Report 2025
Leadership Messages
Chair Report
“Access Copyright is entering a renewed phase, guided by a
strategic plan that reinforces its role as a
copyright-licensing organization committed to fair
compensation for Canadian creators and publishers.”
Linda McCollum Read more
CEO Report
“In everything Access Copyright does, partnership and
collaboration with our members and affiliates remains
essential.”
Kate Edwards Read more
“An Access Copyright licence means creators are compensated
but it also protects institutions because it means they’re
operating now in a legal and ethical framework.”
peter darbyshire,
author and Access Copyright Affiliate
“Access Copyright supports the development of a strategy that fosters a fair, safe and ethical AI ecosystem, one that recognizes the importance of human ingenuity to our society and our Canadian culture. Like organizations across creative industries, we believe AI uses must be authorized, remunerated and transparent.”
Erin Finlay,Access Copyright’s Legal Counsel;
Testimony before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, October 22, 2025
Distributions & Financials
In 2025, Access Copyright continued its prudent management
of its finances.
Our revenues remained stable in 2025 and totalled $13,960,673, a slight decrease of $187,516 from 2024. This reflects, in part, that our customers continue to recognize the value of our licence as a vital component of their compliance and content-use practices.
Our expenses also remained stable in 2025, coming in at $3,438,627, essentially flat to 2024’s total of $3,429,774. For the year, Access Copyright’s Excess of Revenues over Expenses came to $2,050,051, $165,769 higher than 2024.
These results continue to reflect the steps we took at the end of 2023 to ensure future sustainability, including an organizational restructuring and transitioning to a remote-first work environment with a small physical office. These moves also allowed Access Copyright’s Board to reduce the organization’s total administration withholdings from 35% to 30% of licensing revenue to increase our distributions to rightsholders.
In total, we distributed $7,823,992 in royalties in 2025, an increase of $132,607 from 2024. For the year, we processed just under 15,000 royalty payments to rightsholders, including 13,000 distributions to writers and visual artists through Payback and 700 to publishers through the Publisher Repertoire payment. Payments through Payback and Publisher Repertoire increased by 14% in 2025 compared to 2024.
Our revenues remained stable in 2025 and totalled $13,960,673, a slight decrease of $187,516 from 2024. This reflects, in part, that our customers continue to recognize the value of our licence as a vital component of their compliance and content-use practices.
Our expenses also remained stable in 2025, coming in at $3,438,627, essentially flat to 2024’s total of $3,429,774. For the year, Access Copyright’s Excess of Revenues over Expenses came to $2,050,051, $165,769 higher than 2024.
These results continue to reflect the steps we took at the end of 2023 to ensure future sustainability, including an organizational restructuring and transitioning to a remote-first work environment with a small physical office. These moves also allowed Access Copyright’s Board to reduce the organization’s total administration withholdings from 35% to 30% of licensing revenue to increase our distributions to rightsholders.
In total, we distributed $7,823,992 in royalties in 2025, an increase of $132,607 from 2024. For the year, we processed just under 15,000 royalty payments to rightsholders, including 13,000 distributions to writers and visual artists through Payback and 700 to publishers through the Publisher Repertoire payment. Payments through Payback and Publisher Repertoire increased by 14% in 2025 compared to 2024.
*Estimated split in domestic distribution based on historical
survey data.
Access Copyright Foundation
In 2025,
Access Copyright Foundation,
an arm’s length foundation of Access Copyright, completed
its 15th full year of supporting Canada’s creative sector
through its granting programs centered on research,
professional development, and events.
In total, the Foundation awarded $300,000 in grant funding to 76 recipients in 2025.
In total, the Foundation awarded $300,000 in grant funding to 76 recipients in 2025.
"Access Copyright Foundation's generous support made it
possible for me to learn from celebrated artists in my
field and connect with new audiences in Ireland this
summer. I am deeply grateful to the Foundation for
supporting my work through their incredible Professional
Development Grant program."
– Taylor Graham, author and Access Copyright affiliate
Listings
2025 Access Copyright Board of Directors
Linda McCollum, Chair
Lara Caplan, Vice-Chair
Neil Harris, Treasurer
Arjun Basu
Diane Davy
Katherine Gordon
Sonya Lalli
Marcia Lea
Cara Yarzab
Janette Yates
Kate Edwards, CEO
Linda McCollum, Chair
Lara Caplan, Vice-Chair
Neil Harris, Treasurer
Arjun Basu
Diane Davy
Katherine Gordon
Sonya Lalli
Marcia Lea
Cara Yarzab
Janette Yates
Kate Edwards, CEO
Access Copyright Team
Kate Edwards, CEO
Michael Andrews, Chief Financial Officer
Bil Antoniou, Royalties and Client Services Associate
Rino Falcioni, Head, Technology Services
Erin Finlay, Legal Counsel
Dale Gallea, Royalties and Client Services
Xin Ge, Manager, Accounting
Robert Gilbert, Manager, Communications and Marketing
Silvia Grunberg, Head, Royalties and Client Services
Joan Lewis-Milne, Head, Business Development
Ivana Morelli, Royalties and Client Services Associate
Christina Ransom, Senior Information & Business Process Specialist
Irma Rebelo, Intermediate Accountant
Sean Ross, Accounts Payable Associate
Stephen Sawyer, Manager, Business Systems
Annmarie Uleryk, Senior Information & Business Process Specialist
Kate Edwards, CEO
Michael Andrews, Chief Financial Officer
Bil Antoniou, Royalties and Client Services Associate
Rino Falcioni, Head, Technology Services
Erin Finlay, Legal Counsel
Dale Gallea, Royalties and Client Services
Xin Ge, Manager, Accounting
Robert Gilbert, Manager, Communications and Marketing
Silvia Grunberg, Head, Royalties and Client Services
Joan Lewis-Milne, Head, Business Development
Ivana Morelli, Royalties and Client Services Associate
Christina Ransom, Senior Information & Business Process Specialist
Irma Rebelo, Intermediate Accountant
Sean Ross, Accounts Payable Associate
Stephen Sawyer, Manager, Business Systems
Annmarie Uleryk, Senior Information & Business Process Specialist
Creator Member Organizations
Canadian Artists’ Representation
Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators
Canadian Association of University Teachers
Canadian Authors Association
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers
Crime Writers of Canada
Federation of BC Writers
League of Canadian Poets
Manitoba Writers’ Guild
Playwrights Guild of Canada
Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild
The Writers’ Union of Canada
WritersNL
Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick
Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia
Writers’ Guild of Alberta
Canadian Artists’ Representation
Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators
Canadian Association of University Teachers
Canadian Authors Association
Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers
Crime Writers of Canada
Federation of BC Writers
League of Canadian Poets
Manitoba Writers’ Guild
Playwrights Guild of Canada
Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild
The Writers’ Union of Canada
WritersNL
Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick
Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia
Writers’ Guild of Alberta
Publisher Member Organizations
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association
Association of Canadian Publishers
Association of Canadian University Presses
Association of Manitoba Book Publishers
Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association
Book Publishers Association of Alberta
Books BC
Canadian Association of Learned Journals
Canadian Publishers’ Council
Literary Press Group
Magazine Association of BC
Magazines Canada
Music Publishers Canada
News Media Canada
Ontario Book Publishers Organization
SaskBooks
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association
Association of Canadian Publishers
Association of Canadian University Presses
Association of Manitoba Book Publishers
Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association
Book Publishers Association of Alberta
Books BC
Canadian Association of Learned Journals
Canadian Publishers’ Council
Literary Press Group
Magazine Association of BC
Magazines Canada
Music Publishers Canada
News Media Canada
Ontario Book Publishers Organization
SaskBooks