Bill Henderson has an op-ed in the Georgia Straight (which btw has been providing a great diversity of perspectives on copyright) promoting the Songwriters Association of Canada legalized P2P proposal.
Post Tagged with: "sac"
Songwriters Bid To Legalize File Sharing Gets a Rewrite
In November 2007, the Songwriters Association of Canada shocked the music industry and many Canadians by proposing the full legalization of music file sharing. The SAC proposal was based on the premise that file sharing was not going away, that lawsuits against file sharers do more harm than good, and that the continued emphasis on using digital locks to control copying has been a complete failure. In the view of thousands of Canadian songwriters, the better way forward was to encourage music sharing by monetizing it. The SAC proposal envisioned a levy (five dollars per month was floated as a possibility) that would be used to compensate creators for the sharing. In return, Canadians would be entitled to freely share music for non-commercial purposes.
The reaction to the SAC proposal was generally critical. The recording industry rejected it out-of-hand, arguing that it violated international copyright law. Consumer groups were also skeptical, noting that a mandatory universal levy would result in payments by non-music sharers, who would effectively subsidize those sharing music. Notwithstanding the criticism, the SAC persisted. My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that last week, it quietly unveiled a revised version of the proposal at a public forum on copyright in Toronto. The new version, which addresses many of these earlier criticisms, is far more promising and there are indications that the SAC may be joined by other creator organizations in pursuit of a legalization strategy.
Songwriters Bid To Legalize File Sharing Gets a Rewrite
Appeared in the Toronto Star on March 23, 2009 as Songwriters Rewrite Bid for Legalized File Sharing In November 2007, the Songwriters Association of Canada shocked the music industry and many Canadians by proposing the full legalization of music file sharing. The SAC proposal was based on the premise that […]
Making It Work Copyright Forum
Later today I'll be participating in a copyright forum in Toronto together with MPs Olivia Chow and Charlie Angus, as well as representatives from ACTRA, the Songwriters Association of Canada, and the Canadian Library Association. Details at the Facebook event page or catch the event streamed on UStream.
CRTC New Media Hearings – Day Four: CFPTA, DOC, WGC, SAC, CDM, RPM
Day four of the CRTC's New Media hearings featured an interesting mix of presentations as several creator groups sought to advance the discussion with variations on earlier proposals. Carleton professor Ira Wagman provides the details on his blog (part one, part two). Thanks to Samantha Burton for compiling the report.