Over three billion unlicensed copies of music are stored on Canadians’ phones, tablets, and other devices.

However, due to a loophole in the Copyright Act, songwriters and their publishing partners are unable to collect the royalties they rightfully deserve for these copies.

Royalties for unlicensed private copies have sharply declined, dropping from $38 million in 2004 to less than $1 million last year, because the private copying regime has been restricted to copies made onto recordable CDs since 2010. This represents money directly out of the pockets of Canadian songwriters.

Our partners at the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) have created a personalized template letter that anyone can quickly send to MPs and Ministers, urging them to update the Copyright Act in the Fall Economic Statement.

With just a few clicks, you can let the government know that you support creator friendly copyright reforms, including a technologically neutral private copying regime, to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of Canadian songwriters and their partners in Canada’s recorded music industry.

Click here to make your voice heard today.

Sincerely,

Arun Chaturvedi
President
Songwriters Association of Canada / Association des auteurs-compositeurs canadiens