Some very big names in Canadian music (Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sum 41, Sloan among others) have come out against P2P lawsuits, against statutory damages, against DRM, and against anti-circumvention legislation
Fronted by its CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association of America), the Big Four Organized Music cartel is trying to turn Canada into a mini-America where whatever the entertainment industry dictates, happens.
Now, as Geist points out, Canadian musicians and others have decided to take a stand in a new coalition called, appropriately, the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.
Members include, Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sum 41, Stars, Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), Dave Bidini (Rheostatics), Billy Talent, John K. Samson (Weakerthans), Broken Social Scene, Sloan, Andrew Cash and Bob Wiseman.
In the US, it's now routine for the Big Four, Warner Music, Vivendi Universal, EMI and Sony BMG, to fire subpoenas at music lovers, including young children, implying the documents amount to 'prosecutions'.
Some 19,000 men, women and children have become terrified victims. And the record labels want to be able to launch their bizarre sue 'em all marketing campaign in Canada, and elsewhere in the world.
They call music lovers thieves, although nothing has been stolen. They say a download equals a lost sale, although this has never, ever been demonstrated. They say file sharing is a crime, although there's no such offence.
Imagine. Imagine if other artists around the world followed the Canadian lead
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