Post Tagged with: "sac"

SAC Proposal Debated At Nova Scotia Music Week

The News reports that the SAC file sharing proposal was the subject of considerable debate at the Nova Scotia Music Week.

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November 10, 2008 3 comments News

SAC Disappointed that Bill Closes Door on Monetizing P2P

The Songwriters Association of Canada has released their first view of Bill C-61, expressing support that a bill has been tabled but disappointment that the legislation seems to close the door on their efforts to legalize P2P.

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June 18, 2008 Comments are Disabled News

SAC Defends Its Proposal

Eddie Schwartz, the president of the Songwriters Association of Canada, responds to the recent National Post editorial criticizing the organization's proposal to fully legalize file sharing with a counterpoint editorial. 

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March 19, 2008 5 comments News

Everybody is Jumping on the Levy Bandwagon

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, Ottawa Citizen version, Vancouver Sun version, homepage version) focuses on the plethora of new levy proposals that have emerged that could significantly increase the costs to consumers for Internet, television, and new media services.  While cultural and creator groups are the primary proponents of these new funding schemes, they are by no means alone as broadcasters, cable companies, and Internet service providers have jumped into the levy and tariff game.

The cultural group proposals have focused primarily on Internet services.  The best-known is the Songwriters Association of Canada plan to fully legalize peer-to-peer file sharing of music by adding a $5 monthly charge to the cost of Internet access.  That proposal has generated considerable debate, with many consumers expressing concern about a plan that would hit all Internet users, without regard for whether they engage in peer-to-peer file sharing.

Joining the SAC plan is a recent proposal that has garnered support from a handful of creator groups that includes the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Directors Guild of Canada, and Writers Guild of Canada.  The proposal envisions the CRTC establishing a new mandatory ISP contribution of 2.5 percent of broadband revenue to help fund Canadian new media content creation.  

Late last month, the groups released the results of a public opinion survey which they said found that "69 percent of Canadians believe that ISPs should be required to help fund the production of Canadian digital media content in the same way that cable and satellite TV providers are required to contribute a small percentage of their revenues to the production of Canadian television programs."

The proposals do not end there.

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March 11, 2008 37 comments Columns

Everybody Is Jumping on the Levy Bandwagon

Appeared in the Toronto Star on March 10, 2008 as Everybody is Jumping on the Levy Bandwagon From levies on blank CDs to tariffs on background music played in dental offices, Canada has long held the reputation of being a haven for policies that support cultural and creator groups through […]

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March 10, 2008 8 comments Columns Archive