Irwin Law databases, including the Essentials of Canadian Law texts and the Special Lectures of the Law Society of Upper Canada (from 2000 on), will no longer be available on LexisNexis Quicklaw after the expiry of the current licencing agreement on July 31, 2009. Digital versions of all Irwin Law texts will be available on a new innovative platform as of August 1, 2009. Development of the new platform is well underway and over the next few months we will be working with authors, practitioners, law librarians, and other legal researchers to ensure that its electronic offerings meet the needs of the legal research community. More announcements will be forthcoming.
Irwin Law books first appeared on Quicklaw in late 1998 and were among the first legal texts or treatises available electronically in Canada, in large part due to the vision of Hugh Lawford and the technical wizardry of Dick von Briesen, Quicklaw’s co-founders. The relationship was formalized in November 1999 when Quicklaw purchased Irwin Law and Irwin Law texts quickly became a popular source of authoritative commentary for all Quicklaw patrons. As part of its undertaking to Investment Canada, Quicklaw was required to divest itself of all shares in Irwin Law prior to the sale of Quicklaw to Reed Elsevier in July 2002. Since that date Irwin Law texts have been available on LexisNexis Quicklaw under an agreement that is due to expire on July 31, 2009.
The launch of our own platform represents a new chapter in Irwin Law’s history. Our goal has always been to bring thoughtful, comprehensive analysis to our readers in a manner that is both accessible and affordable. We recognize that our readers are a diverse group ranging from sole practitioners to knowledge management professionals in large firms, and from law students to appellate court judges. We respect the work of our authors and recognize our responsibility to publish in a manner that enhances their return and their reputation while at the same time protecting their intellectual property rights. Finally, our view is that electronic publishing should support our print program, but that e-books cannot replace the utility or the experience of the printed page. We believe that all these goals can best be accomplished within the framework of our own Irwin Law e-book platform.
We invite you to join us in this exciting new adventure. Stay tuned.