Canadian Rock Stars Speak Out Against P2P Lawsuits, DRM

A group of Canadian recording artists including big names like Avril Lavigne, Broken Social Scene, Sum 41 and Barenaked Ladies have formed an industry insider's watchdog group of sorts called the Canadian Music Creators Coalition. Today they released a policy position paper that you can read here or download as a PDF from the CMCC's site.

The purpose of the paper is to give voice to the songwriters and musicians themselves, who they feel "have been squeezed out of the copyright discussions." They are tired of hearing music industry lobbyists and record company legal teams speak on their behalf, so they have taken the matter into their own hands. Probably the most significant tenet within the coalition's philosophy is their take on DRM:

Digital locks, and laws protecting them, are risky and counterproductive. Most Canadian labels do not use digital locks when distributing artists' music. However, some labels, particularly major foreign labels, wish to increase their control over Canadian artists and music consumers. Artists themselves are given little or no choice over the use of digital locks by labels. If given a choice, most artists would rather allow consumers the flexibility to determine how and when they enjoy the music they buy.

They go on to cite the Sony/BMG debacle as an example of how DRM hurts record sales. They also take a stand against all of the lawsuits being filed against P2P file traders, saying that "suing our fans is destructive and hypocritical." At the end of the document, they ask the Canadian labels and the government to work to protect Canadian artists, and to help promote support mechanisms like the Canadian Music Fund.

Bravo for them. You can read more about it at Wired...

Related links: music, audio, ipod, podcasting, podcast, video, media, business, canadian music, p2p, copyright, music

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