Evidence of meeting #122 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was music.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Music Canada
Well, $100 million plus of income is exempt from being royalty bearing.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Right. So they actually benefit from the purchase. In addition to benefiting from the commercial transaction they also get additional exemptions.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Music Canada
Yes. There is royalty-free income. It's not supposed to be royalty-free. It's supposed to carry a royalty. You're right. It was originally intended—and I think Elliott or Laurie made this point—for very small mom and pop stations, community radio, universities, and we're in. Protect them.
Liberal
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
To follow up on Lloyd's point, it might be a good business strategy to buy some of these very small ones just to get.... If I'm making a load of money here, I might actually buy ones that I know are very small to take that exemption and use it elsewhere.
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Okay. I would like to talk about the lack of remuneration in television and film soundtracks. I think both you and Ms. McAllister touched on that.
If I understand it, someone writes a song, someone sings a song, and someone puts it out on a label.
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
In this example we're giving, the writer who wrote the song would still be remunerated. Is that correct?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Music Canada
Yes. I believe Mr. Longfield read some testimony of Miranda Mulholland into the record last time around, if I'm not wrong. Miranda is well known for having given this very specific example of Republic of Doyle. She played fiddle all over 200 episodes of that and received her basic union—
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
I understand that. I just want to cut up who gets and who doesn't get.
Liberal
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
—whether it's played on the radio or on television or in a movie—
Liberal
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
As the person who sings it, though, if I sang it and went on the radio, I would get it.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Music Canada
That's one case where you would.
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
But if someone took that great song and put it in a film or on television, I would not?
Liberal
Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
You're saying in this instance it is the performer, the singer of the song, who is cut off, but the person who wrote it is still covered both ways, and your argument is that it's unfair to the singer.