The IATSE applauds the Government of Canada for moving forward with Bill C-11, The Copyright Modernization Act.  The bill will help ensure a stable entertainment industry, which is what keeps its 16,000 Canadian members employed. 

Seventy-five percent of movie revenues and 50% of TV show revenues come from downstream sources, meaning DVD sales, cable, and pay-per-view.  Illegal downloads make for significant losses, as do compromised funding streams.  Lenders are less willing to finance an increasingly unstable industry, which ultimately means that movies don’t get made and Canadian jobs – film crews, set carpenters, restaurant & hotel workers, caterers, florists – are lost.  Last year alone, there were 12,600 full-time equivalent jobs lost to piracy in Canada.

Director of Canadian Affairs John M. Lewis stated, ” Piracy is not a victimless crime.  It’s taking money out of workers’ pockets and it’s reducing the amount of work that is available.  That’s why the IATSE supports the objectives of Bill C-11.  Canada needs copyright legislation that will help protect and create jobs, stimulate the economy, and attract new investment.”