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[FraBig]

Hi everyone! I was doing research about Mr. Monster (Doc Stearne), a Golden Age Canadian superhero.

While doing my researches, I stumbled upon this discussion on this site:
https://comicbookplus.com/forum/?topic=11590.0

I was wondering why we don't have Canadian comics here, giving the existence of this link (mentioned in the discussion):
https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/lac-bac/bell_features_collection-ef/BellFeaturesCollection-findingaid-2016-06-21.pdf

Which from what I understand is a pdf made by the Canadian government that allows to download basically every Bell Features comic.

I didn't really quite understand the rest of the discussion so I would hope that somebody could summarize it for me.
Thanks!

[Robb_K]

Hi everyone! I was doing research about Mr. Monster (Doc Stearne), a Golden Age Canadian superhero.

While doing my researches, I stumbled upon this discussion on this site:
https://comicbookplus.com/forum/?topic=11590.0

I was wondering why we don't have Canadian comics here, giving the existence of this link (mentioned in the discussion):
https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/lac-bac/bell_features_collection-ef/BellFeaturesCollection-findingaid-2016-06-21.pdf

Which from what I understand is a pdf made by the Canadian government that allows to download basically every Bell Features comic.

I didn't really quite understand the rest of the discussion so I would hope that somebody could summarize it for me.
Thanks!

I think that the administrators are just behaving in a cautious and safe manner given that the ramifications of uploading printed material whose current copyright ownership is unclear, and subject to interpretation by legal entities.  The Federal Government of Canada has made images of Bell Features comic book pages available to its citizens as individuals, free of charge, for personal research purposes, and it is illegal for downloaders to disseminate them.  The Library and Archives of Canada making these books available for research, and not advertising that fact in mass media is a LOT different from a website known for uploading thousands of old comic books for public download, which is seen by thousands of people looking to read or download Golden Age Comic books.  The path to getting to the download page of the Bell Features comics on The National Archives of Canada website is much, much, much less likely to be found than Bell Features comic books would be in a Canadian Comic book section on CB+.  The Canadian Federal Government making thesis books available to its citizens for individual research only shouldn't make them susceptible to loss of court cases for illegal dissemination of copyrighted material.  The fact that The LAC hasn't placed blockers on the available downloads to all non-Canadian citizens makes it a bit murky.  But that situation shouldn't automatically make the existing copyrights null and void, and place those books into The Public Domain. The way I have understood the discussion over the Canadian law is that for each individual author's and illustrator's story to become PD, the last of its creators would have to be deceased for 50 years.  And for each book, it would have to be 75 years after the publication date.

But maybe Mark, or other members here can correct my statements if they are incorrect.  In any case, I seem to remember that an LAC representative warned us against uploading ANY Bell Features book.

[FraBig]

I see, thanks Robb. I guess there is no way to have those issues here. At least they're available somewhere!

[Robb_K]

I see, thanks Robb. I guess there is no way to have those issues here. At least they're available somewhere!

By the way, there are at least a handful of Bell Features issues that are NOT included among LAC's available downloads, a few of which I want, including "Spike and Mike", which I read in my older cousins stash of comics, but, somehow, didn't inherit.

Just feel glad that The LAC doesn't require the potential downloader to enter his or her Canadian ID #, or Canadian University ID # to get onto the download page, as they used to do for most downloading of special collections, and non-PD material.  When I first encountered the reference to The Bell Features collection, about 4 years ago, I fully expected it only to be available to Canadian citizens and Canadian university students.