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I'd like to see someone get a group of musicians together (there were a lot of them in the 80s and 90s) to express the discontent they had for the RIAA.

I don't know about American musicians and the RIAA, but here's what some Canadian artists have to say on the subject (artist members include Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sum 41, Stars, Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), Dave Bidini (Rheostatics), Billy Talent, John K. Samson (Weakerthans), Broken Social Scene, Sloan, Andrew Cash and Bob Wiseman (Co-founder Blue Rodeo) .

I agree, it's not the authors that hate file-sharing. Essentially, file-sharing is advertising for the authors, "paid for" by the music labels. Muscians in general make most of their money from performances and concerts. I read somewhere that only 4 out of the top 50 top-revenue-earning-artists made more money from selling cds than from performing.

For some proof, there's a similar artist coalition in Canada called "the Canadian Music Creators Coalition"

Until now, a group of multinational record labels has done most of the talking about what Canadian artists need out of copyright. Record companies and music publishers are not our enemies, but let's be clear: lobbyists for major labels are looking out for their shareholders, and seldom speak for Canadian artists. Legislative proposals that would facilitate lawsuits against our fans or increase the labels' control over the enjoyment of music are made not in our names, but on behalf of the labels' foreign parent companies.

- CMCC

Here are some of their interesting press releases:

Montreal, January 30, 2007 - Nielsen SoundScan numbers released January 17th show that Canada's digital download market grew more than any major market in 2006. This exciting news has the Canadian Music Creators Coalition asking: 'Why are the record labels still pushing for ways to sue Canadian music fans?'

- link

And I'll throw one last link in:

And then in 2008, Canada again outperforms U.S. in digital sales, and Industry Canada commissions a study which shows a positive correlation between file sharing and music purchasing. CMCC argues against anti-circumvention legislation. link Michael Geist

I agree, it's not the authors that hate file-sharing. Essentially, file-sharing is advertising for the authors, "paid for" by the music labels. Muscians in general make most of their money from performances and concerts. I read somewhere that only 4 out of the top 50 top-revenue-earning-artists made more money from selling cds than from performing.

For some proof, there's a similar artist coalition in Canada called "the Canadian Music Creators Coalition"

Until now, a group of multinational record labels has done most of the talking about what Canadian artists need out of copyright. Record companies and music publishers are not our enemies, but let's be clear: lobbyists for major labels are looking out for their shareholders, and seldom speak for Canadian artists. Legislative proposals that would facilitate lawsuits against our fans or increase the labels' control over the enjoyment of music are made not in our names, but on behalf of the labels' foreign parent companies.

- CMCC

Here are some of their interesting press releases:

Montreal, January 30, 2007 - Nielsen SoundScan numbers released January 17th show that Canada's digital download market grew more than any major market in 2006. This exciting news has the Canadian Music Creators Coalition asking: 'Why are the record labels still pushing for ways to sue Canadian music fans?'

- link

And I'll throw one last link in:

And then in 2008, Canada again outperforms U.S. in digital sales, and Industry Canada commissions a study which shows a positive correlation between file sharing and music purchasing. CMCC argues against anti-circumvention legislation. link Michael Geist

I'm also a Canadian on Slashdot, and a hobbyist musician.

Another Canadian here, and also a musician (hobbyist and retired professional).

For example: anytime someone books a local hall for rent, you have to pay a couple hundred bucks to Socan, even if you were playing your own originals, or perhaps you're a Beatles cover band etc.

And, if you are playing your own originals, you too can be eligible to receive compensation for that if you're a SOCAN member. That's right, you can actually get paid royalties by SOCAN to play your own songs.

They don't send these royalties to non Canadian artists...

Actually, every country has their own PROs, and they are all connected to one another, so yes, artists from other countries get a cut too.

Considering nowadays people can create their own music for under $1000.00 and promote it on the internet for free, this welfare system for commercial artists is quite ridiculous.

While I'm not a fan of the blank media levy, I do like the idea of a PRO like SOCAN. It's not welfare, it's distribution of royalties. It's not a perfect system of doing it, but I haven't heard anyone suggest a better one.

The commercial recording industry is an obsolete and dying business model that should be taken off of the government provided life support

Agreed 120%. SOCAN, however, isn't just about the commercial recording industry. Remember, you can be a member too.

By the way, many SOCAN member artists also disagree with CRIA's support for RIAA tactics.

so go buy a fucking CD you torrented or something, okay?

"anything American based will be ignored."

Surely you jest. The RIAA and MPAA have no problems getting our politicians to listen to them.

The MPAA lobbied to get the anti-camcording bill pasted in record time, and the government seems to completely ignore Canadian musicians while listening to CRIA (which represents no Canadian labels).

Like most politicians, ours listen to money, regardless of where it comes from.

This isn't true, the CMCC represents only 179 artists.

Also, the CRIA was formed in 1963 as the Canadian Record Manufacturer's Association, and aren't a 'wing' of the RIAA. They are the RIAA's counterpart in Canada.

It's just a rebranded wing of the RIAA.

The association representing Canadian artists is the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.

If Canadian artists don't want this type of copyright reform, then why should the government be forcing it on them?

-Aikon

But not everyone in the music industry agrees with DRM!

http://www.musiccreators.ca/

Many artists would rather not make listening to music a hassle for fans, because most musicians ARE music fans!

Shrug.. I went to www.puretracks.ca (same as .com) and right on the front page, under "New Releases", you can see the new album by BNL and two little buttons, "WMA" and "MP3". So, in my humble opinion, you can buy tracks without Windows-media crippleware. I did notice, however, that the MP3 versions of the songs are $0.20 more expensive than the WMA versions.

Maybe its just because I'm IN Canada.. I don't know, but I certainly do see a (relatively) wide selection of music available in MP3. Not surprisingly, a lot of the artists available in MP3 seem to be on the Canadian Music Creators Coalition

Aikon-

To be sure, lots of Canadians use the levy as moral justification to pirate as much music as they can, often citing the fact that artists are compensated by the levy (the reality is that it largely goes to Canadian artists).

It's just a branch office of the American RIAA. The group that represents Canadian artists is the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.

Well, News Corp is one of the few media conglomerates not to have a music-producing subsidiary. If they pull this off right, it could be a tremendous coup for them (and for the little guy, strangely) against the rest of the music industry.

What will be really interesting is whether some major names decide to jump ship from the traditional music industry and move to MySpace.

I think even more influential is the Barenaked Ladies initiative they've had on this entire issue.
I attended a concert in December and purchased a coupon I could redeem at the website for a live recording of that concert. I finally got around to downloading it last week. No DRM, various formats I could download in (either tracked or two huge mp3s perfect for burning)
as well as PDFs of CD covers and inserts that could be printed.

I could also purchase any of the other shows they've done, as well as some other things.

Couple that with the fact that they seem to be a major force behind: http://www.musiccreators.ca/

and you've got one great band that hasn't let me down in 15 years.

Its nice that a retailer is pushing no DRM, but I think its more important for the artists to get together like they have here. This should be a more important message because its what the artists really want, the retailers are just middle men and their opinion shouldn't hold that much weight with the lawmakers and standards.

At least inside the office, there was a feeling of "we're defending the artists!"

...Canada?! double dumbasses there! eh ;)...


Are you sure? :)

again...this is like the ban on foie gras (fatty goose liver) in Chicago.

don't they have better and more important issues to work out instead of "PERFORM"-ing for their lobbying bedroom buddies?

heck...Canadian Artists are against DRM. link: http://www.musiccreators.ca/

in fact, govt should stay out of it....and it should be between the webcasters and the artists to hammer out a deal.