NDP shares concerns with cultural community over Conservative copyright bill

MONTREAL — The NDP strongly opposes Conservative Bill C-11, which would modify the Copyright Act and jeopardize Quebec culture. In a meeting earlier this week with a dozen representatives from artist associations and groups, the NDP promised to do everything in its power to correct this situation.

NDP Copyright Critic, Charlie Angus (Timmins–James Bay), along with his colleagues Pierre Nantel (Longueuil–Pierre-Boucher) and Pierre Dionne Labelle (Rivière-du-Nord), met with several representatives of the cultural community grouped together under the DAMIC (Multimedia/Internet Copyright). Together, they exchanged ideas for improving Bill C-11 and agreed to protect the rights of affected artists.

“Bill C-11 undermines artists’ royalties and removes rights of citizens,” said Angus. “We have offered to work with the conservatives to fix this bill but they have shown no willingness to listen to artists, consumers and students. We will oppose this bill.”

On Monday, Nantel and Dionne Labelle attended the Gala de l’industrie de l’ADISQ at Club Soda, before heading to L’Autre Gala later that evening at Saint-Denis Theatre, and reminded that the Conservative bill will lead to losses of tens of millions in royalties for artists and creators.

“This bill would put many artists at risk,” said Dionne Labelle. “The bill is nothing less than an attack on Quebec culture.”