A copyright collective is an organization that administers the rights of copyright owners who assign the rights to the collective. The collective can grant permission to use its affiliates’ works and to negotiate the conditions for those uses. The collective charges fees for the uses, collects the money and pays the affiliates (their members).

Copyright Visual Arts, formerly known as CARCC, was established in 1990 as a copyright collective that licenses and administers copyright for visual and media artists in Canada. They negotiate fees and licenses for the use of an affiliated artist’s copyright. They also administer reprography royalty payments collected on behalf of eligible affiliates by Access Copyright and other agencies that licence reprography.

Copyright Visual Arts is a subsidiary organization of CARFAC and RAAV. One does not have to be a member of CARFAC to affiliate with Copyright Visual Arts, but there are advantages to being associated with both.

For more information about Copyright Visual Arts – a list of its affiliates (members), or to join – see their website.