The IATSE today applauded the Government of Canada for introducing Bill C-11, The Copyright Modernization Act, a critical first step in protecting its 16,000 Canadian members.

Bill C-11 has the right objectives, including giving “copyright owners the tools they need to combat piracy.”  Canada needs an effective, modern copyright framework that fully implements the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) 1997 Internet Treaties and is consistent with international best practices.   A new bill must establish clear rules to make online piracy illegal, discourage the illicit distribution of creative content online, and support an innovative and legitimate digital marketplace.  We appreciate Minister Paradis’ commitment to making any necessary technical fixes to achieve their objectives, which will protect rights owners and support of the thousands of men and women working in film and television production across Canada.

“Film and television production alone generated more than 117,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Canada last year.  The number of workers employed in a single movie’s production range is anywhere from 100 to 1,000 employees,” said Matthew D. Loeb, IATSE’s International President.  “When the industry suffers because of digital theft – that is, when movies do not get made because of digital theft – our members suffer because they find themselves out of work.  Protecting copyright will help safeguard thousands of Canadian jobs and bolster the economy by allowing our creative industries to flourish.”