Post Tagged with: "private copying"

The Canadian Music Industry on C-32: A House Divided

Musician Carole Pope has an op-ed in the Globe and Mail today calling on the government to reform Bill C-32 by extending the private copying to MP3 players.  That approach was derided by both Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore and Industry Minister Tony Clement as the iTax last spring and Clement tweeted a response today.  Regardless of your view on the levy, the op-ed highlights just how divided the music industry in Canada is on Bill C-32.  While sites like the CRIA-backed Balanced Copyright for Canada seek to project an image of strong support for the bill, the reality is that the Canadian music industry is deeply divided on many aspects of the proposed legislation.  In fact, in recent weeks it has turned increasingly critical, touting the need to pass the bill, but simultaneously offering mounting criticism of its provisions.

For example, the uneditable letter now being used by the Balanced Copyright for Canada site tells MPs and Senators that “unfortunately Bill C-32 falls short of meeting the government’s stated intentions. The core message, ‘thou shalt not steal’ is diluted by such a bewildering array of exceptions that if anything the situation for creators will grow worse.” This represents a significant change from earlier letters that did not include such criticisms.  In fact, the initial BCFC consumer letter stated:

I believe the Copyright Act amendments proposed in Bill C-32 do a good job of balancing the right of artists and creators to benefit financially from their work, and the ability of consumers like me to make copies for non-commercial use and personal enjoyment. If Bill C-32 passes, it will give me the peace of mind of knowing that when I take music I’ve purchased and downloaded online, and copy it to my player, it’s legal. There will be no doubt in my mind that the PVR copy of a movie or the episode of my favourite TV show that I’ve made for later viewing doesn’t infringe copyright. And, I will know that my favourite singers, musicians, and film makers have been financially and fairly compensated for their work and creativity.

The new criticisms from the BCFC are just the tip of the iceberg:

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September 20, 2010 36 comments News

James Moore on the Private Copying Levy

“As technology changes, the levy is not an effective mechanism to compensate copyright creators for possible theft of their work. For that reason, our Government has not included an expansion of the private copying regime to iPods and other devices in our recently proposed amendments to copyright. Instead, we have […]

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August 30, 2010 22 comments News

Parliament Votes To Extend Private Copying Levy in Non-Binding Motion

The Liberals, NDP, and Bloc joined forces yesterday to support a non-binding motion that calls for the extension of the private copying levy to other media such as iPods.  The Conservatives, who have labeled the proposal the iTax, opposed the motion.

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April 15, 2010 25 comments News

Angus Defends iPod Levy Proposal

NDP MP Charlie Angus defends his iPod levy proposal in a Toronto Star op-ed and in a Search Engine interview that touches on the proposal, fair dealing, and ACTA.

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March 30, 2010 14 comments News

House of Commons Debate on iPod Levy

There was a lengthy debate on the iPod levy in the House of Commons on Friday, including discussion on my appearance before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage the day before.

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March 29, 2010 5 comments News