New Canadian Copyright Proposal a big Bust

It looks like the Harper Gov't is kissing the US Government's ass once again, and this time it is music fans and artists who will suffer. Canadians are about to endure the same system currently underway in the United States - suing music fans for downloading. As a member of the Canadian Music Creators' Coalition, I was intrigued to hear about the talks currently underway to help "solve" the issue of illegal downloading in Canada. From what I understand, a new stream of income will be created, from the pockets of music fans who use P2P networking sites like Limewire and Morpheus.

When I was a broke university student, I didn't have the money to buy every CD I wanted, so like most people, I used the technology available to me so I could get more of the music that I couldn't afford. I still buy music to this day, but if a friend suggests something to me, or offers me a burned CD, I take it! According to the newly proposed laws, anyone found guilty of sharing a song with a friend will be fined $500. Anyone found guilty of uploading a song to a website without owning the song or paying royalties will be fined upwards of $2,000.

I don't understand how this is going to fix the problem of lost revenues. The only revenues that will increase will go straight to government coffers. Please, if I am not reading this correctly, will somebody out there please set me straight. I just don't think the answer is to fine your fans.


Forwarded Press Release:

Attention National/Arts & Entertainment Editors

CMCC: Copyright Reform Bill Doesn't Help Canadian Artists
Government Opts to Parrot US Legislation in lieu of a real Made-in-Canada Approach

Montreal
June 12, 2008

The Canadian Music Creators Coalition is not impressed with the copyright reform bill announced this morning. "As we feared, this bill represents an American-style approach to copyright. It's all locks and lawsuits," said Safwan Javed, CMCC member and drummer for Wide Mouth Mason.

"Rather than building a made-in-Canada proposal to help musicians get paid, the government has chosen to import American-style legislation that says the solution to the music industry's problems is suing our fans," continued Javed. "Suing fans won't make it 1992 again. It's a new world for the music business and this is an old approach."
The CMCC is unimpressed by government claims that this bill strikes the right balance between all the stakeholders. It notes that business groups, creators groups and consumer groups have all expressed their dissatisfaction with the government's continued attempts to pass a copyright bill that does not consider Canadian's interests.

"The question is, who gains from this bill?" explained Brendan Canning, co-founder of Broken Social Scene and a CMCC member. "It's not musicians. Musicians don't need lawsuits, we don't need DRM protection. These aren't the things that help us or our careers. What we do need is a government that is willing to sit down with all the stakeholders and craft a balanced copyright policy for Canada that will not repeat the mistakes made in the United States."

For Further Information Contact: Keith Serry, CMCC Communications: (514) 867-8337 or press@musiccreators.ca

About the Canadian Music Creators Coalition

The CMCC is a coalition of nearly 200 Canadian acts who share the common goal of having our voices heard about the laws and policies that affect our livelihoods. Our membership rolls boast dozens of household names including Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Broken Social Scene, Matthew Good, Metric, Randy Bachman, Billy Talent, Sloan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sum 41, Stars, Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), The New Pornographers, Bill Henderson (Chilliwack), Ronnie King (The Stampeders), Dave Bidini (Rheostatics), Billy Talent, John K. Samson (Weakerthans), Three Days Grace, Andrew Cash and Sam Roberts. We are the people who actually create Canadian music. Without us, there would be no music for copyright laws to protect.

Until recently, a group of multinational record labels has done most of the talking about what Canadian artists need out of copyright and cultural policy. The labels' legislative proposals facilitate lawsuits against fans and increase the labels' control over the enjoyment of music. These proposals have the labels' interests at heart – not artists' interests, not fans' interests, and certainly not Canada's interests.

The CMCC grew out of our common desire to speak out in Canadian copyright and cultural policy debates. The CMCC is united under three key principles:

Suing Our Fans is Destructive and Hypocritical

Artists do not want to sue music fans. The labels have been suing our fans against artists' will, and laws enabling these suits cannot be justified in artists' names.

Digital Locks are Risky and Counterproductive

Artists do not support using digital locks to increase the labels' control over the distribution, use and enjoyment of music or laws that prohibit circumvention of such technological measures. Consumers should be able to transfer the music they buy to other formats under a right of fair use, without having to pay twice.

Cultural Policy Should Support Actual Canadian Artists

The vast majority of new Canadian music is not promoted by major labels, which focus mostly on foreign artists. The government should use other policy tools to support actual Canadian artists and a thriving musical and cultural scene.