Copyright Board Reform Receives Royal Assent

By External Source

Music Canada has come out strongly endorsing reforms to the Copyright Board of Canada have been made official as the Government of Canada’s Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, (Bill C-86) received Royal Assent.

The change, which will come into force in April 2019, will make the Board’s processes faster, more efficient, and more predictable. Speeding up the process will address a long-held concern of the music sector as the Copyright Board plays a vital role in relation to Canada’s music community by setting rates that directly impact the value of music and the amount that artists and labels receive for their work. Music Canada has been a lead advocate for full and meaningful reform of the Copyright Board.
 
“On behalf of our members, Music Canada extends our thanks to the Hon. Minister Navdeep Bains and the Hon. Pablo Rodriguez for their vision in leading the Copyright Board reform process, from the consultations last year through to Royal Assent,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “By modernizing the Copyright Board, the Government is creating a more efficient regulatory environment which will support a royalty rate-setting process that better reflects the true value of music.”

Canadian country superstar Gord Bamford is equally enthused. “Everyone that works a job likes to be paid fairly and the changes made are a huge step for all of us that make music for a living. I applaud the government for taking action on this,” Bamford said in a statement.