The Copyright Act has not been updated since 1997 when blank audio cassettes were the medium of choice for copying music. Currently the private copying levy only applies to blank audio recording media, like CD-Rs. The Act does not reflect that today MP3 players like the iPod are the new standard for copying music. As a result, rights holders do not receive compensation for the majority of the copies made of their music. Music rights holders need to be fairly compensated for those copies. Copies have value, if they didn’t have value people wouldn’t make them.
Since 2003, over $200 million has been paid to music rights holders for private copies made of their music. But the amount available for distribution to rights holders is rapidly decreasing, because, today, the private copying levy only applies to CD-Rs. With the declining use of CD-Rs to copy music, revenue from the private copying levy will soon be obsolete.
The amount available for distribution to rights holders from the private copying levy has dropped from $27.6 million in 2008 to an estimated $8.8 million this year (2011) – a 68% reduction. This downward trend is expected to continue. The Copyright Act must be amended to extend the private copying levy to MP3 players. Without the changes to the Act, the funds distributed annually to music rights holders, through the private copying levy will disappear, and many songwriters and artists won’t be able to afford to continue to create music at all.
Lend your voice to supporting the modernization of the Copyright Act. Visit http://www.savethelevy.ca and click on the “Take Action” button to send a letter directly to your Member of Parliament. After you complete your information in the “Contact your MP” section, a letter will be automatically generated, addressed and sent via email to your specific MP.
The CPCC and its member collectives have been working hard to keep this issue on the table and to have the private copying levy extended to MP3 players. But we need your help! Click on the link and send your letter. Let the Government know that the private copying levy is important to you.