Music fans not the enemy: artists’ coalition
A coalition of top Canadian musicians and the group that oversees Canada’s recording industry sent out opposing messages Monday about the development of new copyright laws.
Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page led a union of Canada’s top musicians at a Toronto news conference Monday, as they demanded a seat at the table when the federal government drafts new copyright legislation.
Last week, Page, members of indie group Broken Social Scene, veteran act Blue Rodeo and other top artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Randy Bachman and Sum 41 were among those who united to form the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.
“For a very long time, we ñ as artists ñ have allowed industry groups to speak on our behalf. We want that time to stop,” Page said Monday.
Take cues from fans, group says
The group opposes two major initiatives that global recording industry groups have used to battle music piracy: suing music fans and placing copy-protection on albums to make it difficult or impossible to transfer the music onto digital music players.
Taking cues from music fans and not fighting them is what should be done, said Canadian singer-songwriter Andrew Cash.
“The music business has spent so much creative energy and money fighting instead of taking a look at what fans are really doing and trying to find a way to swim with it,” Cash told CBC News.
The artists’ coalition is not opposed to copyright reform, the members said Monday.
However, they are advocating a cooperative approach that incorporates emerging technologies, rather than a combative plan of attack.
“We cannot afford to have an adversarial relationship with our fans. New technology affords fans new ways to listen to music. We as artists… must adapt to that,” Page said.
“To say, ‘See you in court,’ and then, ‘See you at Massey Hall,’ isn’t going to work.”
CRIA seeks tougher laws against file-sharers
For the past few years, the Canadian Recording Industry Association, which represents the world’s major international record labels, has been pressuring the Canadian Heritage Department to toughen the country’s copyright laws.
The group, which says it oversees about 95 per cent of the recordings released in Canada, would like to see the government sign international treaties that, among other things, would change the law to make it illegal to share music files for free.
This would pave the way for lawsuits against Canadians who share high volumes of music files, similar to lawsuits launched in the U.S., Australia and Europe.
Graham Henderson, president of the CRIA, believes that such measures are necessary to protect the industry.
“For every legal song or video file downloaded and paid for, 14 files are swapped without any compensation of any kind,” he claimed during a lunchtime speech to the Canadian Club in Toronto Monday.
“Canadians will continue to steal other people’s property until we tell them it’s wrong and find ways to stop them.”
Henderson also argued that artists support this view, as he unveiled a public service announcement that criticizes free music file-sharing and features singer Alanis Morissette.
While some musicians agree to make their music available for free to “seed the marketplace,” he said, “if in Canada the only thing we’re thinking about is how to give it away, I think we’re making a mistake.”
He urged Canadians to “respect artists who want to be paid.”
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