OTTAWA – The Writers Guild of Canada called on the Canadian government to fight for creators’ rights by fixing copyright Bill C-32. Appearing before the parliamentary committee today, the WGC stated that Bill C-32 undermines creators’ ability to make a living in Canada from their work.
The WGC recommended that the committee delete or fix the Bill’s “reproduction for private purposes” clause. The provision allows consumers to make an unspecified number of copies to share with their “friends and family.” This section and other provisions in the Bill destroy income streams for creators and give away their work for free claims WGC.
“The Bill begs the question: why would your friends and family buy a movie or TV-show boxed set on DVD when you can copy the version you bought and share it with them?” says WGC Executive Director Maureen Parker.
With the spread of digital files she says we need a modern Copyright Act that protects revenue streams rather than undermines them.
The WGC also requested that the government use the Bill to address a long-standing gap in Copyright Law in Canada and define authorship in the audio-visual work as the screenwriter and director. The WGC argues that Bill C-32 should support collective licensing as a win-win solution for creators and consumers.
The group noted that Bill C-32 erodes existing markets and prevents the development of other markets for copies of creators’ works. It claims that quantifiable loss to creators is upwards of $126 million per year, and the potential damage extends well beyond that.
