Vernon to decide on transfer of Ogopogo to Okanagan Nation Alliance

Vernon may soon be transferring its copyright of the Ogopogo to the Okanagan Nation Alliance for the price of $1.

The move comes months after council voted unanimously to grant permission to author Don Levers to use Ogopogo in his upcoming book which is a sequel to his 1985 publication, Ogopogo: The Misunderstood Sea Monster.

Councillors then made a u-turn and decided to transfer the copyright to the Okanagan Nation Alliance.

READ MORE: Vernon to give Ogopogo copyright to First Nations

During Tuesday’s regular council meeting, Oct. 12, councillors will decide whether to transfer the assignment of rights in the literary and artistic work titled "Ogopogo" from the city to the Syilx nation.

“Early in 2021 Council directed administration to assign the copyright in the unpublished literary and artistic work entitled ‘Ogopogo’ to the Okanagan Nation Alliance. Initially thought to be a straightforward assignment, the path soon became quite convoluted, including a trademark challenge from a third party, challenges to the original assignment of 1956, a wide-sweeping story in the British news service The Guardian and numerous COVID and emergency delays,” according to council documents.

City staff are requesting council's approval of the transfer.

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