The CMCC (Canadian Music Creators Coalition) is making headway in the Canadian government recently.
Note: This is an article I wrote that was published elsewhere first. It has been republished here for archival purposes
After Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies made some Copyright Reform Recommendations and the CMCC sent an open letter to the ministers, it appears that the Coalition efforts is actually paying off in government.
The CMCC was reportedly meeting with Canadian ministers to discuss copyright reform. Shortly after the meeting, the NDP (New Democratic Party) issued a statement. The statement said, “NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) says the emergence of the star-studded Canadian Music Creators Coalition (CMCC) is a welcome addition to the long simmering war over copyright legislation. The Coalition is in Ottawa to meet with Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and Heritage Minister Bev Oda.
The CMCC intervention comes as the government discusses legislation that could have wide-ranging impacts for music fans, educators and software innovators. Restrictive copyright legislation could be used to squash the development of new digital distribution models, sue kids who share music files and impose tollbooths on the educational use of the Internet.”
One may note that this isn’t the first time the NDP spoke about copyright reform that can align what the CMCC is lobbying for. During the Canadian general election in January, the NDP responded to policy questions issued by CIPPIC (Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic). In the January statement, the NDP said, “Angus calls efforts [of what was witnessed in Bill C-60] to protect creative rights laudable, but has said an attitude of protectionism emanating from the Heritage Ministry could cripple independent artists and musicians”
The news comes just shortly after Graham Henderson’s speech that made mention of “lawlessness” in Canada. The speech made mention of members of CMCC members presumably to make it appear as though the CMCC agrees with the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association) even though the vision for Canada’s future in creativity and the digital environment greatly contrasts between the CRIA and the CMCC. Graham’s speech was commented on by critics like Michael Geist (Whose recent speech Our Own Creative Land was recently made public for free download) and Russell McOrmond.
The Coalition has made great strides to make waves in the government considering that the Coalition has only started at the end of April. One can also wonder if large Canadian artists such as Social Broken Scene, Avril Lavign and Barenaked Ladies as well as Nettwerk, one of Canada’s largest Independent labels, were never apart of the CMCC, would the Coalition have made it as far as they have?
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Google+.
