Let’s Restore A Vitally Important Revenue Source: Private Copying Royalties
How you can help restore a vitally important source of income for our Members
If you’re a songwriter, performing artist or musician, and royalties matter to you: we need you to stand on guard for music.
As you know better than anyone, every stream of income from copyrighted music is essential to make a living from your creative output. You receive royalties, for example, when your work is recorded, streamed, or performed at a festival… and you must also be compensated when people make copies for their own private use – like playlists for listening offline.
A lot of those copies come from authorized download and streaming services, but research shows that Canadians also make billions of unlicensed copies on their phones and tablets, with no royalties paid. Why not? Shouldn’t every copy count? The problem is that levies (royalties) can only be collected for unlicensed private copies made on blank CDs, not the billions on devices like phones. The Copyright Act hasn’t kept up with technology, and rights-holders are paying the price.
A levy of just $3 on the sales of phones and tablets would generate $40 million per year in royalties from this use of your work – revenues that would flow to songwriters, composers, music publishers, recording artists, musicians and record companies. Revenues that are needed more than ever to help you keep making music.
How can you help (in 30 seconds or less)?
The Government needs to know that these royalties matter to you, not just to the collectives and trade organizations that have been fighting for years to fix this problem.
Use your own phone or tablet right now to shoot a quick selfie video of you saying “I’m _____, and I’m a recording artist. Copyright is my paycheque. Fix private copying levies now.” Upload it to the social media platform of your choice, and be sure to tag us in your post so we can amplify it!
Social media handles (to tag):
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Suggested hashtags:
#StandOnGuardForMusic
#CopyrightIsMyPayCheque
#FixPrivateCopyingRoyaltiesNow
HOW ELSE CAN YOU HELP?
- Use our online form to give us 25 words or less in writing on why private copying reform is important to you
- Check out our toolkit for more easy actions to take, or just get in touch with CPCC
- Follow the CPCC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to demonstrate your support and to keep up with the latest news
- Download and share the CPCC’s digital brochure
- Read RACS’s previous blog on this issue, which contains more detailed background information