“[AI] is a tool that enables us as humans to learn and be more creative,” he says. “Copyright law should not only protect that, but it should encourage it in every possible way.”

The UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day returns April 23. While AI breaks frontiers, literary traditions such as North Vancouver City Library’s Persian Book Club and local participation in the Italian Strega Prize selection remain community strongholds.

AI and copyright law

According to Festinger, fair dealing rights is a defense against copyright infringement in Canada. In the Canadian context, these rights allow non-copyright holders to use copyrighted materials for specific purposes, such as those involving research, education, private study and criticism, so long as certain conditions are met.

This defense is particularly relevant to what Festinger calls “AI ingestion of copyright materials lawsuits” – an increasing number of cases where copyright holders have sued companies for using their materials to train AI programs.

“The basic defense that will be argued [is] ‘it’s fair for us to educate the AI because we’re not really educating the AI, we’re educating people through the AI,’” Festinger explains. “The AI is just a pass through, so from a user’s rights perspective, the users of ChatGPT have a right to use these materials.”

The professor adds that when AI is accused of reproducing copyrighted materials, one must consider conventional understandings of plagiarism: it is often the plagiarist who is liable for copyright infringement, not the tool used to plagiarize. For Festinger, the idea of AI as simply a tool is central to understanding its implications in copyright law.

“The AI can be the paint, the AI can be the paintbrush, the AI can be the typewriter or the keyboard or the computer,” he says. “But only humans right now are capable of being creative.”

Festinger notes that the American Copyright Office has confirmed that a solely AI-created work is not copyrightable – a decision he sees the Canadian Copyright Office upholding. According to him, the question of whether AI-created works can receive copyright relies on the degree of human intervention.

However, the courts have yet to devise a standard test for determining just how much of a human touch is required. Festinger sees AI’s impacts on copyright law as comparable to the popularization of the internet. He notes that during the 1990s, Canadian courts reaffirmed user rights while protecting authorship in response to the unrestricted international distribution of materials via the internet.

“We are extremely lucky to have a court, the Supreme Court of Canada, that has been thoughtful about copyright and technological change, and specifically about the role of learning and education,” he adds.

Preserving Persian culture

Literary gatherings have been part of Persian culture for centuries, says Shideh Taleban, a library services coordinator at North Vancouver City Library. Traditionally known as bazaars-e adabi, these Persian literary salons brought together intellectuals, artists and book lovers – an experience Taleban recreates with the library’s Persian Book Club.

“We’re seeing firsthand how attending our book club helps foster a sense of belonging amongst participants,” the librarian says, adding members include both newcomers and long-term residents. “Many newcomers share how the book club helps combat social isolation.”

Taleban inherited the book club (est. 2013) from the former Persian librarian, Fereshteh Kashefi, who was also instrumental in developing the library’s Persian collection. The club now meets on the last Wednesday of each month – except for December, July and August. As its facilitator, Taleban guides the Persian discussions and ensures that all participants, including those who haven’t finished the book, can participate.

“A successful book club is about more than just books; it’s about people,” she says. “When members feel a sense of belonging and look forward to discussions, the club becomes a meaningful part of their lives.”

While recent discussions have focused on contemporary Persian literature, the club has also explored translated World Literature, including Romain Gary’s The Life Before Us and Irvin D. Yalom’s When Nietzsche Wept. With member recommendations and her own research in mind, Taleban compiles a short-list of titles. After consultation with the former Persian librarian, a book is selected and announced to members a month ahead of the meeting.

“We typically have open conversations that explore various aspects of the book, including the author’s background, writing style, themes and our personal interpretations,” adds Taleban. “Naturally, related social topics often come up as well.”

The library’s collection of Persian books – 1,147 fiction titles and 1,714 non-fiction titles – is also a source of pride. With its hybrid format, the club has also drawn remote participants, including those living in Toronto and Iran. It has also hosted renowned Persian authors, such as Parinoush Saniee and the late Mohammad Mohammadali, foregrounding the culture’s deep reverence for the literary arts.

“Poetry, in particular, has been integrated into daily life,” the librarian shares. “Many Iranians can recite lines from Hafez or Rumi from memory, and their works are often consulted for guidance, much like one would seek wisdom from a mentor or spiritual teacher.”

Local Italian connections

Italian writing is notable for its elaborate and free-flowing structure; one that resembles a lava lamp, says Arianna Dagnino, the cultural events coordinator for the Dante Alighieri Society of BC. The organization is part of the international Dante Alighieri Society, which is headquartered in Rome and has 480 chapters worldwide. After passing a selection process, the local Society was recognized as a literary presidium (or literary centre) of the prestigious Strega Prize in 2020 – a program that Dagnino now oversees.

“The society’s literary presidia serves as hubs for promoting reading and contemporary Italian literature,” she explains.

The Strega Prize (est. 1947) is Italy’s highest literary honour – often seen as the Italian counterpart to the American Pulitzer Prize. Awarded annually, the winner is recognized as the best Italian-language text of prose fiction. For Dagnino, the prize is not only symbolic of Italy’s literary scene, but also its cultural heritage.

“The process [of selecting a winner] not only recognizes literary excellence but also aims to reflect and influence the broader cultural and social changes occurring in Italy,” she explains, noting these discussions have sparked controversies.

This focus on culture is central to the prize’s history; it was developed from renowned writers Maria and Goffredo Bellonci’s literary salons, amici della Domenica or Sunday Friends. According to Dagnino, the Sunday Friends where instrumental in recreating normalcy and community amongst the Italian cultural elite following the second world war.

Jury members from the local Society now participates in this tradition by selecting their top three choices out of 12 nominees and sending one collective, summary ballot to the central office. Votes from all the literary presidiums are then compiled into one submission from the Dante Alighieri Society.

“The Dante Society of BC evaluates nominees based on their proficiency in the Italian language and their engagement with Italian literature,” shares Dagnino.

Her favourite Strega Prize winners are Natalia Ginzburg’s Lessico famigliare (Family Sayings, 1963), Umberto Eco’s Il nome della rose (The Name of the Rose, 1981) and Primo Levi’s La chiave a stella (The Wrench, 1979). The local Society also hosts book clubs, film screenings, networking events and educational programs.

Honouring the renowned Italian poet, the Society will host “Celebrating Dante: A Piano Recital” on April 12 at the Vancouver School of Music, featuring acclaimed pianist Emilio De Mercato.

“You’ll enjoy a captivating program featuring works by Schumann, Liszt and Mussorgsky, inspired by literature and art, including Dante’s Divine Comedy,” Dagnino adds.

The event is free, but donations are welcomed. Those with a strong grasp of the Italian language interested in serving on the local Strega Prize jury are invited to contact the Society.

Dagnino also cowrites the English-Italian bilingual newsletter, Canadiensis, with UBC sociology instructor Stefano Gulmanelli. The two plan to embark on a Canada-wide trip to document the country’s changing cultural and social landscape.

For more information on World Book and Copyright Day, see www.unesco.org/en/days/world-book-and-copyright

For more information on North Vancouver City Library’s Persian book club, see www.nvcl.ca/persian-book-club

For more information on the Dante Alighieri Society of BC, see www.dantesocietybc.ca/

For more information on Canadiensis, see www.canadiensis.substack.com