Copyright Consultations
copyrightconsultation.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Archived - Kane, Steven
Archived Content
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
I work in Canada's music industry. People like me support Canadian music by helping to create, promote and sell it — to fans at home and all over the world. We contribute to Canadian culture, earn a living and pay taxes. I call on the government to introduce modern, robust copyright rules without further delay.
The Government's failure to modernize the Copyright Act is costing Canada jobs and undermining Canadian culture. Music sales in Canada, the artist and industry careers they support, and the broader cultural and economic benefits they deliver, are in freefall because of unchecked Internet piracy.
By not taking action, our government has allowed a culture of piracy to thrive in Canada. Many people have lost jobs. Established musicians see their careers threatened or in ruins. Young musicians can't get their careers off the ground because no one will invest in them and everyone just takes their music. These are all taxpayers, they are voters. Many with families, many with children in school. I know a lot of them personally. And I fear the consequences — for them and me — if action is not taken soon.
The following principles, drawn directly from the government's comments on Bill C-61, should guide the upcoming copyright reform legislation:
- The rights of those who hold copyright must be fairly balanced with the needs of users to access copyright works;
- The Copyright Act must provide clear, predictable and fair rules to allow Canadians to derive benefits from their creations;
- The Copyright Act should foster innovation in an effort to attract investment and high-paying jobs to Canada; and
- Canada must ensure that its copyright framework for the Internet is in line with international standards.
This is about jobs, it is about careers and it is about culture. I am not asking the government to do anything that has not been done elsewhere in Europe and the US, where copyright laws were modernized years ago. I am demanding, for my sake, for my family's sake, for the sake of artists, that we catch up with the rest of the world.
Steven Kane
