Thank you very much.
I have seven minutes, but I would have preferred the two ministers to be with us for two hours. It seems to me that would have been the normal procedure.
There is a great deal to be said about Bill C-32. First and foremost, the point must be made that there is no balance in this bill. I am happy that you are both here today, side by side. I want to emphasize the fact that this bill has been designed for big business, the seven major U.S. companies, major broadcasters, gameware and software companies. This bill is based on use of the digital lock, which in no way meets the needs of the music industry or musicians. According to the Union des consommateurs, it reflects “a punitive approach that has proven ineffectual elsewhere in the world”. It is also a bill that relies on prosecution. And the fact is that large corporations have far greater means to take on legal battles than rights holders and creators of artistic content.
In fact, in defence of this bill, your Parliamentary Secretary, Dean Del Mastro, stated in the House on Friday morning that everyone supports you: 400 film, television and interactive media companies, 150 corporate CEOs, who are making $4.5 billion thanks to artists, 38 software multinationals and 300 chambers of commerce. That is what he said. But he did not name a single organization that defends the rights of artists, nor did he mention a single artist, musician, performer or author. And that is how the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage defends a bill that is supposed to defend the rights of artists.
In Quebec, the number of opponents of the bill is huge. I could give you a full report, but let's just say that since the day before yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly is at the top of that list, and it's unanimous. Sovereignists are not the only ones represented in the National Assembly, Ministers.
As I said, this is a bill designed for the industry. A digital lock may work for gaming software and possibly even the film industry, but it certainly doesn't work for the music industry. Let me give you another example. A musical work will never be worth more than $20,000, since your bill has preset damages at no more than $20,000. On the other hand, circumventing a digital lock—and it is clear that this is aimed at big business—will result in a $1 million fine and a five-year term of imprisonment. It is obvious that there is a double standard here.
One does not have the sense that the Minister of Canadian Heritage has really defended this bill. The Minister of Industry has vigourously defended it, though. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has been totally absent from the debate. The non-modernization of private copying will cost artists $13 million. The elimination of transitory copying will cost $21 million. The education exemption will cost $16 million. Overall, we are talking about $50 million.
Minister Moore, you have done nothing to defend the rights of artists. You wrongly state that consumers support you. You know that is not true. The Canadian Consumer Initiative has told you that and the Union des consommateurs has repeated it over and over. Under this bill, not only are artists' incomes reduced, but no new support is offered them either. No one is defending the rights of artists in this government where we have, not one, but two Ministers of Industry.
That's the reality, Mr. Moore. There is a complete imbalance. Mr. Moore, you have failed in your duty to defend artists. I challenge you to tell me how this bill can possibly benefit artists and creators of artistic content.