The Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.) recently had a constructive meeting with MP Damien Kurek, Shadow Minister for Canadian Heritage. This early fall session meeting laid a strong foundation for collaboration on key issues facing Canadian culture, music, and heritage.
A key point of discussion was the importance of the recent modernization of the Broadcasting Act and the passing of Bill C-11, which was a crucial step in ensuring that Canadian songs and songwriters thrive on the world stage. We emphasized that the contributions made by large, foreign-owned tech companies should not be seen as taxes or levies but rather as fair reinvestments into the Canadian cultural community from which they derive significant value.
We also addressed the profound impact of generative AI (GenAI) on cultural industries. We conveyed our concerns about AI companies building systems using songwriters’ work without permission, generating synthetic content that competes with creators. Without proper regulation, GenAI threatens the livelihood of human artists and poses risks to both Canadian culture and economy. This challenge affects all cultural sectors, including music, film, and visual arts, and the industry has reached a consensus on the importance of the “3-Cs” in legislation:
Consent – Creators should authorize the use of their work in AI training.
Credit – Recognition for creators’ work used in AI systems and outputs.
Compensation – Fair payment for the use of creators’ material in building AI and its generated outputs.
We also highlighted the CIAM and Fair Trade Music International white paper, which addresses international efforts to secure fair treatment for songwriters affected by GenAI. CIAM, representing organizations worldwide, advocates for a new sui generis right specifically for artists in the AI era, aiming to secure compensation and enforce compliance by AI companies.
The S.A.C. is committed to ongoing dialogue on these pressing issues and wishes to thank MP Kurek for his engagement on creator issues.