Copyright Board nixes interim tariff idea

OTTAWA – The Copyright Board of Canada has firmly rejected an application by the Audio-Visual Licensing Agency (AVLA) and its Quebec equivalent (SOPROQ) for the implementation of an interim tariff on the reproduction of sound recordings by commercial radio stations. In a decision released Friday, the Board disagreed with just about every argument put forward by the two agencies and told them they need not worry about collecting their money, once a new royalties regime for the years 2008 to 2011 is in place. A statement of proposed royalties was filed last March. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters filed an...