SOCAN WELCOMES THE UNDERTAKING OF CONSULTATIONS ON THE REFORM OF THE COPYRIGHT BOARD OF CANADA

oronto, August 10, 2017—SOCAN welcomes the announcement by the Government of Canada concerning the undertaking of consultations on the reform of the Copyright Board of Canada made by Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, whose goal is to provide the organization with the means to improve its decision-making process.  This working document illustrates the importance of this institution for the government in light of the impact its decisions have on thousands of writers, composers and music publishers across the country.

“We fully agree with the need to improve the Copyright Board’s efficiency and transparency. We believe that this undertaking will benefit all of its stakeholders,” said SOCAN’s CEO, Eric Baptiste.

“Some of the government’s proposals seem interesting and will be examined in order to improve the system and allow the Copyright Board to reach its decisions in a more timely manner,” added Gilles Daigle, SOCAN’s General Counsel and Head of Legal Services.

SOCAN also welcomes the government’s intention to fill the vacant positions at the Copyright Board, which will also contribute to make the organization even more efficient.

About SOCAN

SOCAN connects more than four-million music creators worldwide and more than a quarter-million businesses and individuals in Canada. Nearly 150,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers are its direct members, and more than 130,000 organizations are Licensed to Play music across Canada. With a concerted use of progressive technology and a commitment to lead the global transformation of music rights, with wholly owned companies Audiam and MediaNet, SOCAN is dedicated to upholding the fundamental truths that music has value and music creators and publishers deserve fair compensation for their work. F

For more information, please contact:
Environics Communications (for SOCAN): Louis-Charles Roy, 613-670-5814, lcroy@environicspr.com
SOCAN: Nicole Van Severen, 416.445.8700 ex. 3460, nicole.vanseveren@socan.com