Canadian Songwriters' Collective Licensing Bid Goes Voluntary

Last year, the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC) proposed a plan to legalize the file sharing of copyrighted songs, which involved a small monthly fee to people using an internet connection. Critics of the plan complained that it amounted to another tax, and the Canadian recording industry said it violated copyright law. Now, as an anonymous reader writes, "The SAC has renewed its bid to legalize peer-to-peer file sharing in return for a levy on Internet service. The SAC is now calling for the plan to be voluntary, with both consumers and creators having the right to opt-out. ACTRA, the leading performer group in Canada, now says it is also supportive of a legalized approach with the prospect of extending the plan to video sharing."

Comments

Screw Canadian media

[Gizzmonic]

Seriously, Canada's stupid protectionist media laws have given us the fantastic sounds of Nickelback, Avril Levigne, and Alanis Morrisette. For even Neil Young there's a dozen no talent hacks being propped up by these laws-the audio equivalent of corn subsidies. And now they're going to give them even more money? Ridiculous! The US has done a lot of stupid things, but can you imagine if we were giving tax money to Billy Ray Cyrus and Li'l Wayne? Free money from the government! All you have to do is make a shitty record!