Copyright baby steps not enough

Copyright baby steps not enough


TORONTO, June 18, 2014 /CNW/ - The Canadian Federation of Musicians
reacted to the June 17(th) announcement of the Notice and Notice Regime being enacted in Canada.
"Industry Minister James Moore and Minister of Heritage and Official
Languages Shelley Glover have ensured that Canada's so-called Copyright Modernization Act continues to lag behind other countries", lamented Alan Willaert, AFM
Vice-President from Canada. "For Creators in Canada, the onus is still
upon them to discover, identify and litigate when their intellectual
property has been infringed upon. This is both a lengthy and costly
process."



Canada has finally ratified the WIPO (World Intellectual Property
Organization) WCT and WPPT (WIPO Copyright Treaty and WIPO Performance
and Phonograms Treaty), which will be enacted on August 13(th) of 2014. However, these treaties allow for "National Treatment", which
means a country can decide the level of compliance it wishes to
enforce. As of January, 2015, under this Notice and Notice Regime, the
ISP's (Internet Service Providers) are only required to notify a user
if piracy is discovered, and then notify them again if the infringement
does not cease. In stark contrast, the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act (DMCA) in force within the United States allows for a site to be
taken down after initial notification, should the user still be
infringing.



"Canada continues to lag behind the rest of the world. Two years after
inception, we have still not signed on or ratified the Beijing Treaty,
which provides for protection of audiovisual performances", continued
Willaert. Canada's Copyright Act is scheduled for a five year review in 2017, at which time the CFM is
hopeful that a number of improvements can be made, allowing for greater
protection of Canadian Creators and a higher level of compliance with
existing treaties.



The Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) is the Canadian division of
the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada
(AFM). Every day, CFM helps thousands of musicians with any number of
issues related to the recording and performing of their craft including
assistance with contract negotiations and specialized services ranging
from immigration to media recordings to touring. The AFM and its 25
chartered locals across Canada negotiate agreements for their members
which protect ownership of recorded music and secure benefits such as
health care and pension. AFM actively lobbies government on Copyright
reforms as well as other matters of interest to professional musicians
living in Canada. Drawing on the experience and strength of its more
than 90,000 members, with over 17,000 active musicians in Canada alone,
the AFM's mission is to assist its membership to optimize the level of
their professional working environment at every stage in their careers.



For more information please visit us at www.cfmusicians.org | CFM on Twitter|CFM on Facebook

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM)

Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM)

CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT:  
Victoria Lord, VLPR Inc.
Telephone: 1-416-484-9047 | Email: victoria@vlpr.com


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