News

The Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) has announced that it will appeal the December 14, 2004, decision of the Federal Court of Appeal on private copying to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Federal Court of Appeal had ruled that the permanently embedded memory of digital audio recorders, such as the iPod, is not a "blank audio recording medium", and so could not be subject to a levy under Canada's private copying regime. Prior to that decision, a digital audio recorder with a 10 Gigabyte hard drive was subject to a $25 levy.

The Digital Media Project, at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, has released a study, Assessing the Impact of Policy Choices on Potential Online Business Models in the Music and Film Industries. The study examines the impact on a range of business models

The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that personal audio devices such as iPods and other MP3 players, are not subject to Canada\'s private copying regime. The Copyright Board had previously found that the devices\' permanently embedded memory was "blank audio recording media", and accordingly required manufacturers and importer of the devices to pay a levy under the regime. Parliament established the private copying regime to compensate owners of copyright in songs, sound recordings and performances for private copying of music. The short-term effects of the decision may be to lower the prices charged in Canada for MP3 players. Longer-term, the decision suggests that computer hard drives and other devices with embedded permanent memory may not be leviable media. The decision is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

What do musicians think about the P2P debate? The labels have been loud and litigious, and consumers have done their talking with their downloads. But it has been difficult to get a read on musicians\' position on the P2P debate - until now. In an American survey of self-described artists, and an online survey of 2,755 musicians, the Pew Internet and American Life Project concludes that artists are embracing the Internet as a tool for making, marketing and selling their creative works.