(Toronto) – The Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) welcomes the Copyright Board’s certification of an interim tariff for 2005. In March 2004 the CPCC asked the Copyright Board to extend the 2003-2004 private copying tariff for another year to cover 2005.

Four parties filed objections to the proposal, but all agreed to an interim tariff for 2005 pending a final decision by the Board next year after the Federal Court of Appeal rules on three judicial review applications. Under both the interim tariff and CPCC’s proposed tariff for 2005, private copying royalties remain at their current levels.

“After the Board’s decision in December, the CPCC had too little time to develop a proposal for 2005 that would challenge the rates certified for 2003 and 2004,” commented Claudette Fortier, Chair of the Board of Directors of the CPCC. “In spite of CPCC’s disappointment with the Copyright Board’s decision, and because of the initiation of a process of judicial review, CPCC agreed to accept a continuation of the existing rates.”

Three groups, including the CPCC, appealed various aspects of the Copyright Board’s December 2003 decision. The Federal Court of Appeal heard all three challenges in a combined hearing on October 12 and 13, 2004. The Court’s rulings are not expected until the new year.

The private copying law came into effect in 1998 in recognition of the increasing number of Canadians who were making unauthorized copies of music for their own personal use.

The levy was put in place to ensure that the rights holders in recorded music receive some compensation for their work and investment. The first private copying tariff to be approved under the new law came into effect in December of 1999.

The Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) is a non-profit agency charged with collecting and distributing private copying royalties. Established in 1999, CPCC is a collective of collectives that represent authors, composers, music publishers, artists and record companies.

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For more information contact: Alison Thompson, CPCC
tel. (416) 486-6832, ex. 221
email: [email protected]