Dominion and Agency: Copyright and the Structuring of the Canadian Book Trade, 1867-1918 (Studies in Book and Print Culture)

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. "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 and the MacMillan Company of Canada Fonds at McMaster University, MacLaren addresses the foundations of the Canadian publishing industry. 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 as it exists today"--Provided by publisher

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.

Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 11 1. Conceiving the 1875 Act, 1868–72: The Principles of Copyright 25 2. Achieving the 1875 Act, 1872–5: The London Publishers Prevail 54 3. Clarifying the 1875 Act, 1876–7: The Stunting of Belford Brothers 79 4. Living with the 1875 Act: William Briggs, Printer, Binder, and Distributor 112 5. The 1900 Amendment, the Agency System, and the Macmillan Company of Canada 132 6. The North American Copyright Divide: Black Rock and the Magnification of ‘Ralph Connor’ 151 Conclusion 174 Notes 181 Bibliography 203 Index 213