On August 25, the Copyright Board of Canada (Board) issued decisions on reproduction rights for online music services for the 2010-2013 period for SODRAC (online video) and 2011-2013 for CMRRA-SODRAC Inc. (online music), certifying the royalty rates that persons who provide online music services in Canada must pay for the use of copyrighted musical works.
This long-awaited decision is inconsistent with earlier Board decisions on streaming: it significantly reduces the royalties payable to authors, composers and publishers in reproduction rights for this use. This decision also impacts the webcasting services that were the subject of an initial decision.
We are currently analyzing the details of the decision and assessing the possibilities for further action on this issue. We will let you know of any developments.
Society for reproduction rights of authors, composers and publishers in Canada