Canadian Federation of Musicians Urges Parliamentarians to Defend Musicians' Livelihoods
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For Immediate Release, Thursday, April 10, 2014 - TORONTO, ON -- Speaking on behalf of Canada’s 17,000 professional musicians, the Canadian Federation of Musicians appeared today before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to urge parliamentarians to consider the long-term impact and importance of intellectual property rights in sustaining the creation of great Canadian music.
“By strengthening the copyright laws across all media platforms, we will make great strides in ensuring that Canadian artists continue to be fairly paid for the use of their music, and can ensure an acceptable standard of living for themselves and their families,” says Mark Tetreault, Director of Symphonic Services for the Canadian Federation of Musicians.
The Committee, which is conducting a study of the Canadian music industry, was also called on to support the implementation of a music industry education program to engage and educate aspiring professional musicians regarding their compensation rights for both a live music settings as well as any and all other media platforms.
The Canadian Federation of Musicians fully supports the ACTRA Recording Artists' Collecting Society testimony, which has asked the Standing Committee to recommend modernizing the private copying regime and to reintroduce income-averaging for artists under Canadian tax law.
Building on AFM Canada's long and successful legacy, CFM continues to further the particular interests and needs of professional musicians who earn their living in this country. Every day CFMhelps thousands of musicians with any number of issues related to the recording and performing of their craft. The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada draws on the experience and strength of more than 90,000 musicians, with over 17,000 active members in Canada alone. Proudly celebrating 32 remarkable years of service, CFM is uniquely positioned to address Canadian issues, and provides vital resources for Canadian musicians, at any stage in their careers.
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