The final fight for downloading in Canada

[hyperbole]

Well, well, well....it seems that the fight to reform Canadian law to outlaw computer downloads (which are currently 100% legal in Canada) has taken an interesting turn: the actual music artists have spoken up against any change in the law!!!

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/01052006...gital-locks-music-say-canadian-musicians.html

Looks like we might be headed towards the Japanese system where music is essentially given away as advertising for merchandise and concerts. Artists and their fans versus the heavies of Corporate America. Now this will be a good one to watch.

hyperbole

 

[Esco!]

If they can do the same with movies my conscience will be clear

 

[hyperbole]

If they can do the same with movies my conscience will be clear

To my knowledge, both music and movies are under the same umbrella when it comes to the state of downloading legality in Canada (in that copies/downloads for personal use are fair game). And to be honest, I don't see the government wasting their time changing the law at all if they don't do it for both. Besides, lots of music companies have parent companies that also have film divisions, so I don't see them accepting anything but total victory either.

So like I said, it's going to be interesting in the next year or so.

hyperbole

 

[bobistheowl]

There probably aren't a lot of Canadian movies that are popular downloads on p2p.

 

[lh888]

The law currently states that anything on the internet that is publicly accessible is legally free for you to download. That includes movies and porn from non-Canadian content.

The current law only is only being challenged in the area of uploaders.

 

[hyperbole]

The law currently states that anything on the internet that is publicly accessible is legally free for you to download. That includes movies and porn from non-Canadian content.

The current law only is only being challenged in the area of uploaders.

I'm fairly certain that the most recent ruling that made downloading legal also upheld the act of uploading as illegal because you are offering the copyrighted material for distribution. The only part of the law left open is the downloading part and that's why the music artists are vehemently against punishing their fans because they know they have more to lose in the long run.

hyperbole

 

[thewheelman]

Artists are all for it, since many, who aren't selling in the stores, are now recieving nice royaly cheques from online sales and play.

 

[tboy]

if memory serves, I think the BNL boys actually distributed some of their music on Napster before it was released on disc....I think it had an intro something like "hey we're the barenakedladies, here's our new song, hope you like it..." I never did find that copy but...

Once again, the legality of downloading music surfaces. I still have the opinion that:
1) musicians are paid to play or sing
2) in the olden days, if you wanted to hear them, you hired them to play (goes back to king arthur days)
3) technology allowed them to effectively "play" different venues at the same time in essence, get paid for being in two places at once.
4) now technology has limited the amount they are or will be paid so no longer are they being paid for doing something once, then copying it.

IMHO cd's, albums, digital recordings is no different than Ford getting paid everytime I start my truck...or sell it or loan it to someone.

 

[hyperbole]

Artists are all for it, since many, who aren't selling in the stores, are now recieving nice royaly cheques from online sales and play.

Actually, the reverse is true in Canada because the government charges a surtax on all blank CDs and DVDs that then gets distributed to Canadian artists of all levels. TO be honest, many independent Canadian artists prefer getting this cheque instead of having to rely on CD sales that could tank for no other reason than the label isn't pushing it. Taking that out of the equation, the band can focus on doing concerts and writing more music.

hyperbole

 

[Garrett]

IMHO cd's, albums, digital recordings is no different than Ford getting paid everytime I start my truck...or sell it or loan it to someone.

Not quite. The comparison would be, once they sell you the truck, you could wave a magic wand and make an exact duplicate for essentially zero cost. Better yet, you could transport the cloned truck anywhere in the world near instantaneously for, once again, minimal cost. I do not think Ford would be able to survive under those conditions...

 

[canucklehead]

There probably aren't a lot of Canadian movies that are popular downloads on p2p.

Actually on the GErman and Swedish sites there are a fair number of Canadian Festival movies uploaded about 1 in every 10 american which often surprises me.

 

[basketcase]

Actually, the reverse is true in Canada because the government charges a surtax on all blank CDs and DVDs that then gets distributed to Canadian artists of all levels. TO be honest, many independent Canadian artists prefer getting this cheque instead of having to rely on CD sales that could tank for no other reason than the label isn't pushing it. Taking that out of the equation, the band can focus on doing concerts and writing more music.

hyperbole

According to a news report last 6 months or so, the government can not decide how to distribute it so it is all sitting there waiting.