Entertainment

Photo: Contributed

Dave Gunning performs at the East Coast Music Awards dress rehearsal Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005 in Sydney, N.S. (CP PHOTO/Jacques Boissinot)

OTTAWA - The Royal Canadian Mint has backed down on its dispute with a Nova Scotia folk singer over his upcoming album's depiction of the penny.

The mint had told Dave Gunning he faced a royalty fee of $1,200 if he produced in excess of 2,000 albums because they contained images of the copper coin.

But Christine Aquino, a spokeswoman for the mint, says it no longer plans to charge him that fee.

Gunning, who's won multiple awards on the East Coast music scene, made national headlines this week when the mint said his soon-to-be released album infringed copyright.

The Pictou native said his album, titled "No More Pennies," is meant as a tribute to the ubiquitous one-cent piece, which the mint stopped producing in the spring.

In a statement, the mint says it will review its intellectual property policy after realizing it "may not consider the individual needs and circumstances" of those looking to use its images.

Gunning could not immediately be reached for comment, but Aquino says she spoke with the singer and he is "very happy" with the decision.