The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association Quebecoise de la Production Mediatique (AQPM) have reached a new collective agreement covering English-language screenwriting in Canada.

The new Independent Production Agreement (IPA) came into effect March 16 and extends to Dec. 31, 2017.

New in the agreement is automatic jurisdiction over TV bibles written by WGC members; previously, WGC agreements included jurisdiction over bibles but it was optional, not automatic.

In addition, the new deal has an updated royalty formula that will see WGC members receive royalty payments faster and on more projects. This new royalty formula also applies to digital productions, including web series, if they are sold for use on conventional TV.

In various statements accompanying the announcement, the CMPA, WGC and AQPM all emphasized satisfaction with the agreement, forged in an extremely uncertain time for the Canadian TV industry with Let’s Talk TV decisions reshaping the regulatory landscape.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock