Archived - Carnell, Andrew

Minister Tony Clement,

My name is Andrew Carnell and I am a promo rep with Warner Music Canada, based out of Calgary. I am extremely fortunate to have found a great job in the field that I feel most passionately about, the music industry, but time and time again I am reminded about how little protection is offered to me and others like me by today's copyright laws in Canada.

With regards to a record label, the majority of our revenue is based on the sale of music, and with the amount of illegal downloading going on these days our numbers are shrinking on a consistent basis. I understand that it is just easier for some kids to get music for free on their home computers, but it is troubling to see how easy it is for them to do it, and also how slim the chances are of them being reprimanded for it. They are stealing, just like taking a bag of chips from a store without paying for it, or jumping on a cab fare. Under the current law, there is no clarity about what is — and is not — acceptable for Canadian consumers on the internet. By failing to take action, our government has allowed piracy to thrive in Canada. That is a scary thought for someone like me, my family, and my company. That is why Canada's Copyright Act needs to be reformed now. On a larger scale… without protection for Intellectual Property, how can we expect companies to invest in Canada?

Canada's copyright reforms must create online legal certainty to help build a large legitimate online marketplace. A marketplace where everyone involved is receiving their due compensation, and then in turn can continue to run the businesses, and create the art that is needed to keep music popular. We need to provide clear rules against stealing music to ensure that Canada doesn't become a haven for illegitimate operations that profit from stealing other people's property. The saddest part of it all is to know that Canada is years behind it's trading partners in reforming copyright laws for the digital age. We need to catch up!

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my submission, these issues are very important to me, my co-workers, and my family. They affect my livelihood in a major way, and we need to change the way things are now, and start moving in the right direction.

Sincerely,

Andrew Carnell
Calgary,
Alberta