Bill C-11 Committee on Feb. 29th, 2012

Evidence of meeting #5 for Bill C-11 (41st Parliament, 1st Session) in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was copyright.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-11, An Act to amend the Copyright Act

MPs speaking

Pierre Dionne Labelle

Mike Lake

Pierre Nantel

Also speaking

Stuart Johnston President, Canadian Independent Music Association

Robert D'Eith Secretary, Board of Directors, Canadian Independent Music Association

Janice Seline Executive Director, Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective Inc.

John Lawford Counsel, Canadian Consumer Initiative

Janet Lo Counsel, Canadian Consumer Initiative

Jean-François Cormier President and General Manager, Audio Ciné Films Inc.

Suzanne Hitchon President and General Manager, Head Office, Criterion Pictures

Sylvie Lussier President, Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma

John Fisher Chief Executive Officer, Head Office, Criterion Pictures

Yves Légaré Director General, Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma

5:45 p.m.

Director General, Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma

Yves Légaré

This is not at all the amount we had in mind, and I would say that our position is more general. The works are property. If they are used, people must be compensated, and the compensation must, of course, be reasonable. There is an organization that can decide what reasonable is. However, according to the proposal on the table, compensation will no longer be given for these works because we are moving from the current formats—CDs—to digital formats. That's where the most transactions are going to occur.

If authors aren't going to be compensated when their works are constantly reproduced, when will they be?

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB

Again, just to clarify, what you're suggesting is that if I purchase a piece of music, such as a CD or an album of some sort, even through iTunes, and I have an iPad and an iPod and a computer, and it's on all three, I should pay for that four times—the original time plus the extra three times—just for the one copy I would use.

5:45 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Glenn Thibeault

I'll let you answer, and then after that we'll need to adjourn.

5:45 p.m.

Director General, Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma

Yves Légaré

People in the music industry might be able to give you more clarification on this, but I can tell you that, right now, when you buy music legally, you are allowed to copy it to various formats, to your iPad, for example. Sometimes you are allowed up to three, four or five uses. But it's a different story if you get it, loan it to someone else or have it copied by another person.

Right now, the legal offer allows you to copy it to more than one device. That's not what we are hoping for. We just want there to be a levy on readers to compensate for reproduction, for example when people copy works that they didn't necessarily buy and are copying their CDs to their iPod.

5:45 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Glenn Thibeault

Thank you.

Let me once again apologize to our witnesses, especially for me for being so strong on the time, but we do have to get to votes.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB

Point of order, Mr. Chair. I have to clarify, because they might--

5:45 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Glenn Thibeault

This is more of a debate, and we do need to wrap up.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB

Okay, but it does come from the Copyright Board.

5:45 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Glenn Thibeault

Thank you, Mr. Lake.

I just wanted to apologize again to our witnesses. Thank you for coming. Your testimony is very important to this committee.

We meet tomorrow at 9 a.m. in Room 253-D.

This meeting is now adjourned.