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Copyright Board Publishes Decision on Royalties for Online Music Downloads
On Friday March 16, 2007 the Copyright Board of Canada approved a tariff for the reproduction of musical works by online music providers. The decision ends a two-year debate over what qualifies as fair compensation to copyright owners for the reproduction and distribution of their work over the Internet.
Under the tariff, 7.9% of the price for songs distributed via permanent downloads must be provided to the copyright holder. For downloads provided via web subscription or on-demand streaming, the rates are 5.9% and 4.6% of the cost of a month’s subscription, respectively. The tariff applies retroactively from 2005 to 2007.
For a copy of the decision, visit: