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"I am a fan of music on both sides. I have a huge music collection, a weekly radio show and have been writing and performing my music for many decades. In short, music is my life and the soundtrack of my life. I fully support the effort to bring Canada up to the standards set in the USA, UK and other countries. The creators of music, film, TV and all intellectual property need to be properly protected, paid fairly and in accord with the rest of the music-film-TV creators around the world. Instead of trying to play "catch up", Canada should be leaders in this field. It's time to "Take Care of Our Business"." Randy Bachman "Copyright makes it possible for artists like me to earn a living. It allows us to sell our music, or if we so choose, to give it away. But without adequate copyright protection, our recordings can be freely stolen and distributed on the web, right in front of our eyes. All I'm asking for is a law that gives me a choice." Jully Black "Why would Canada choose not to protect the intellectual property of the creators who are at the heart of its multi-billion dollar arts industry? Almost half of my income from record sales is given to the government in taxes. Any use of my music that is not protected not only robs me of my livelihood and makes me more dependent on government funding and social programs, it also decreases my contribution to the economy of this country. How could that possibly be to anyone's advantage? Copyright protection benefits everyone". Lhasa "It seems obvious to me that copyright laws have to reform in response to the radical impact of the internet and file sharing." Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) "I have made my living as a singer-songwriter for many years and enjoyed considerable success. I have won many awards and been honoured by being inducted into the Order of Canada. I have been the host of a radio show which championed the cause of songwriting as a high art form, namely "Swinging on a Star", which ran for five years on CBC radio and had a weekly audience of 750,000 listeners. I was also on the board of SOCAN for fourteen years, right through the first phase of copyright reform. With this experience behind me I am fully aware of just how terribly important strong copyright laws are in allowing for a viable and prolific music community. Our songwriters and creators of film and TV music as well as concert music composers are a key part of our cultural fabric and in the case of our high visibility artists, also ambassadors who carry Canadian culture to the world. We've gone part of the distance, now it's time to go all the way and bring Canada in line with progressive nations everywhere in ensuring that its creators are properly protected and compensated for the work they contribute to our society and the world. Murray McLauchlan "For 15 years we have managed to maintain our creative freedom and set our own course because we took the time to manage the business side of our music. This was only possible because people paid for our records, and for new artists today wanting to follow our example this opportunity is being taken from them without appropriate copyright protection. Somehow there has been a complete misunderstanding that copyright is all about major labels dominating the music business, when it is really about artists who want to choose how and when they share their art. Big record labels are becoming increasingly irrelevant anyway and ultimately artists will be left without any protection if we don't catch up with the rest of the world in copyright". Sloan "Canada is a country that cherishes and supports its culture and its artists in so many ways. It is inconsistent and wasteful to provide financial support for artists on the one hand and yet fail to assure fair compensation for their creations on the other. Creators like me are urging the federal government to join the rest of the western world and establish a fair and forward-looking rule of copyright". Bob Ezrin
"Many of us went to Ottawa 3 years ago to lobby for change...and nothing happened. Are we in the third world when it comes to the protection and support of our artists intellectual rights and property? Apparently so - it's time for a change now..." Tom Cochrane "Property rights are fundamental to a democratic society. Along with the rule of law, freedom of speech and association, equality, and other basic tenets of democracy, property rights are a key element of our heritage and our belief in economic freedom. Copyright legislation has fallen behind advances in technology leaving property rights subject to critical abuse. Our important trading partners have moved to correct this problem. Canada should follow quickly - sending a clear signal that rights are protected in this country and that investment in creativity is encouraged. In leading economies around the world economic activity from intellectual property has been repeatedly demonstrated to be a cornerstone of broader economic health. Absence of effective copyright law is the beginning of a larger unraveling of our well-being" Andrew R. Shaw, President & CEO, Toronto Symphony Orchestra "...that canadian song creators are not adequately protected against the realities of the modern world is unconscionable. I ply my trade like any other artisan and my livelihood deserves to be protected. This legislation should be firm enough to guarantee my right to control how my own work is distributed and flexible enough to respond to the needs of our children as our world continues to evolve". Great Big Sea "As a recording artist in the early stages of my career, it is crucial to find people to invest in my product, and this is difficult to find in the era of "free" downloading. Artists across Canada need the government to act to protect our ability to make a living". Pat Robitaille "As technologies for the distribution of music are changing rapidly, it is important for Canada to be in the forefront in protecting the intellectual property rights of Canadian artists and performers. We all value the contributions of the Canadian cultural community. It is our duty and obligation to see that these creative artisits are treated fairly. I urge the Canadian government to join the EU, USA and the rest of the developed world, and enact legislation implementing the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) treaties". Mark Tetreault, Principal Tuba, Toronto Symphony Orchestra & Director of Symphonic Services AFM Canada "As a former artist, and now as an artist manager, I have seen first hand the damage done by the uncertainty that exists here in Canada as to what's legal and what's not. We need clarity now to support Canadian artists and to be protected like our fellow artists in almost every other developed country in the world" Andy Curran "For Canada to continue it's legacy of world-class songwriters, the government needs to ensure that artists and the works they create are protected. As musicians at the beginning of our career, this support is vital if we are going to be able to make a living from our craft". Sheila Carabine & Amanda Walther of Dala "Music is so important to so many Canadians - it's part of the lifeblood of our culture. Unfortunately, weak copyright laws in Canada mean it can be treated as though it has no importance and no value. We need to change this - artists and their true fans deserve nothing less". Brian Melo "For almost a decade, copyright reform has been the most important issue facing those of us that create music. Without it we have no say in how our songs are made available to the public. It is literally legal to steal. It should be the artist's right to determine how his or her works should be disseminated. Let's restore this fundamental right so that artists are treated fairly, and are encouraged to create. Fair is fair, rights are rights, let's get on with it. Brad Merritt (54*40) "Copyright makes it possible for artists like us to earn a living. It allows us to sell our music, or if we so choose, to give it away. But without adequate copyright protection, our recordings can be freely stolen and distributed on the web, right in front of our eyes. All I'm asking for is a law that gives us a choice". Eva Avila "As a musician working in the traditional music field, it is obvious to me how much music helps to define community and celebrate culture. As a nation, surely we should be proactive in protecting musical artists' livelihoods so that they can continue to tell our stories, reflect our attitutudes, and celebrate our communities. I feel the Canadian government should be leading the way in finding solutions to this threat to musicians. Now is the time for action, not blocking progress. In the words of a Gaelic proverb: "Is sāmhach an obair dol a dholaidh." (Going to ruin is silent work.) Mary Jane Lamond "I definitely think that artists should be compensated for their work. It is a life decision and you commit your whole life into doing this. And when people can just take that away from you, it's not even the money - it's the principle. I do all this work, and you just take it? I can't just go into McDonalds and take a burger. It should be up to the artist. If they want their music out there for free - great. If they want to be paid and compensated for their work, time and effort, everything it takes going into a song, from writing it to recording it, to getting it ready - that should be the choice of the artist. Something has to change. It can't go on like this" Alex Norman (Ill Scarlett) "I'm an artist who wants to own my music. It's so easy to download it and forget to buy the record. Without stronger copyright laws, I fear for the industry. It's hard work to become an artist. It's even harder now. If you don't support the musicians, you won't get good music. It's my artwork and I respect it, and I expect the same thing coming back". Tim Edwards (Crash Parallel) "Canada needs to establish clear rules stating that file-sharing is illegal. Artists should have the ability to say or choose whether or not they want their music shared freely or not. People have this attitude or misconception that all artists drive these big, beautiful cars, and that we're living the high life, but really, and especially at the beginning of your career, it's a real struggle. And the last thing I want to feel is that people can just take my material when they want to, and not know that there was a lot of blood, sweat and tears that went into creating it" Divine Brown "Downloading music from the Internet is ironically the hope, and alarmingly the impending decay and destruction, of the music industry. Unless these downloads are monitored and artists are compensated for their work, there will be NO work to download. None of us, as writers and performers, can afford to keep making the music that has always, and will always, make the world a little easier to swallow in troubled times. We cannot play if we are not paid. This issue is very serious and should be given much more respect and attention than it has received in this country. Canada is a country that produces some of the world's biggest selling artists; artists who pay a hell of a lot of taxes. Tell me that it is not in the best interests of this government to go after their lost revenue". Jann Arden "Everyone seems to think this is just hurting the labels and the superstars, so who cares? Wrong. People who download music have friends playing music in clubs in their hometowns and those people are never going to get record deals because record companies won't have sold enough records to support a new artist". Kathleen Edwards "As young artists just starting out, we've learned first hand how hard it is to crack this business. Lugging our gear on endless drives to gigs across the country, the countless hours spent writing and recording, putting on our best show every night even if we're too sick or tired to stand up straight! We do it because we love music, plain and simple. However, the reality is that in our country we have inadequate laws to protect the intellectual property of our artists in this digital age. If we do not change with the times young Canadian artists will not have the same chance to breakthrough as others have had in the past". Inward Eye "As a creator, I should be able to choose how my works are distributed. Currently in Canada I don't have that choice. The government needs to give Canadian creators the same rights creators in other countries (like the UK and the US) already have" Kalan Porter "I have been a member of the Canadian musical family for over 20 years. I believe that people stay in this country for different reasons but one of the main reasons is that people believe that their government will protect their freedom of choice. The WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) treaties lets the artist have a say, a voice, in how their art is being sold,if at all. If I was a young touring artist I would probably give most, if not all, my music away in an effort to promote ticket sales, or money from merchandise etc. The fact is, I don't tour anymore, so the revenue from my music solely depends on legitimate downloads via the internet. The Canadian government is sending a strong message right now that, they do not care about my or anyone else's revenue. Having WIPO in place we ensure that our artists of all mediums, are taken care of and respected. The message this would send out to the world is that Canada could lead instead of follow. I urge the Canadian government to join the EU, USA and the rest of the developed world, and enact legislation implementing the WIPO treaties". Andy Stochansky
"If someone owns a piece of property, i.e. real estate, industrial equipment, automobile, you pay a rental or use fee for a time and term to use that property. In all of the above points, only one seems to exist in an unreasonable and unfair mindset in some quarters that the owners and creators of music should have no rights to receive compensation for the use of their property. I would challenge any individual, group of people, or in fact any judge who believes that music should be free, to write a book, rent out a property he or she might own, or in fact give their expertise as a judge away for no pay, if they truly believe that music should be downloaded for free. After all, creators do not one day just overnight learn to play an instrument, write or produce music. It takes years of hard work and dedication to create something of value, not unlike a judge, who has suffered long and hard with good diligence to hone his intellect to be thoughtful, fair and just. A judge, however, has the right to charge or not to charge, to do pro bono or not to do pro bono. Should not creators of music, authors of books, etc. have the same rights? I would say to all those who think music should be downloaded for free, to work at their job for free, build a home for free, grow crops for free. That the public has any right to anything for free is totally absurd". R. Harlan Smith and Chris Nielsen "In regards to the topic of copyright, allow me to voice my opinion against downloading songs. As a manager and investor we feel downloading affects us as investors trying to recoup our investment. Allowing this to continue only drives us away as I'm sure others who are there to support, promote and assist many artist careers within the recording industry. If we, as investors can not somehow get our investment back because no one needs to buy the CD then what's the point. When you spend $50 to $100,000.00 in recording and promotion this makes for a bad investment if people can obtain what we paid for at no cost...I'm totally in favor of charging for downloading songs or not allowing it at all. Thank you for listening". Don Adams [Co-Producer/Artist/Public Relations Merritt Mountain Music Festival, BCCMA (President)] |
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