Podcasting Legal Guide For Canada

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Performers are also granted a right of equitable remuneration by section 19(1), which enables them to be paid equally with the sound recording maker for any communication of their works by telecommunication.

The sound recording maker refers to the person who undertakes the arrangements necessary for the first fixation of the sounds.<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">[35] This is usually a record label.

The major record labels are represented by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) while many independent labels are represented by the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (CIRPA). The collectives that represent the copyrights for sound recording makers are AVLA for reproduction, and NRCC for performance.

Sound recording makers derive their rights from section 18(1) of the Copyright Act, which grants them the exclusive right to reproduce their sound recordings, as well as to publish or rent them out.

Sound recording makers are also granted a right of equitable remuneration by section 19(1), which enables them to be paid equally with the performers maker for any communication of their works by telecommunication.

Many different uses of music are licensed through collectives in exchange for payment of a tariff established by the Copyright Board. Online use of music is currently being contemplated by the Board, which recently released its reproduction rights decision (CSI Online Music Services Tariff) and is currently drafting a performing rights decision (SOCAN Tariff 22). Of these, SOCAN Tariff 22 is expected to expressly contemplate podcasting, so the exact rates to be paid for use of music in a podcast remain to be determined.

The following section seeks to clarify the relationship between the different copyright owners and layers of rights. While neither the reproduction rights collectives nor the performing rights collectives currently issue licences for podcasts, you should be able to clear the rights for the different elements you wish to incorporate into your podcast by following the steps set out below.

3.7.2 Copyright Matrix

This chart is a visual representation of the layers of copyright protection in the context of music.

It is important to keep in mind that these categories may be artificially constructed, as the songwriter and the performer are often the same person. Similarly, if someone writes their own music, sings their own songs, and owns a recording studio, all three categories may refer to the same person! It is also important to remember that these rights are often layered on top of each other such that an activity that infringes the rights of the sound recording maker will probably also infringe the rights of the performer and the songwriter.

Examples of each of the rights have been provided to help illustrate their contents, but there are many types of activities that may fall into each category. <table class="MsoNormalTable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;border:none;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-border-insideh:.5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev:.5pt solid windowtext"> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes;page-break-inside:avoid; height:26.5pt"> <td width="155" rowspan="2" valign="top" style="width:116.3pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:26.5pt"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> <td width="156" valign="top" style="width:116.7pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:26.5pt"> Songwriter Lyricist and/or composer <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:26.5pt"> Performer Singer, band members <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:26.5pt"> Sound Recording Maker Record labels <td width="156" valign="top" style="width:116.7pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> May retain or waive moral rights May assign both reproduction and performance rights to a music publisher May assign mechanical right to SODRAC May enter into non-exclusive agency agreement with CMRRA regarding reproduction rights May assign performance rights to SOCAN <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> May assign performance rights and/or fixation rights to the sound recording maker <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> May enter into non-exclusive agency agreement with AVLA regarding reproduction rights May enter into non-exclusive agency agreement with collectives who are members of NRCC regarding performance rights for communication to the public by telecommunication any sound recording <td width="155" valign="top" style="width:116.3pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> Reproduction Right SODRAC, CMRRA, AVLA <td width="156" valign="top" style="width:116.7pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> · Copying sheet music · Posting lyrics online · Uploading a ringtone <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> · Making a bootleg recording of a concert <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt"> · Ripping a CD or music DVD · Sharing mp3s <td width="155" valign="top" style="width:116.3pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:3.5pt"> Performance Right SOCAN, NRCC <td width="156" valign="top" style="width:116.7pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:3.5pt"> · Singing a cover song · Busking · Webcasting/podcasting music <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:3.5pt"> · Transmitting a live performance by radio, tv, or internet · Playing a live transmission in a public place · Recording a live performance <td width="164" valign="top" style="width:122.95pt;border-top:none;border-left: none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:3.5pt"> · Playing a CD in public <span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:18.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

3.8 Rights Clearance by Content

3.8.1 Using Your Own Music (that you wrote and composed)

If you choose to use music that you composed in your podcasts there are usually no rights to clear since you are the copyright owner.

If, however, you have transferred some or all of your rights to one of the copyright collectives, you should review your contract or check with them directly to ensure you have permission to use the work in your podcast.

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