FairPlay Canada launches in Ottawa
By Adnews Staff
A new organization called FairPlay Canada has launched to lobby the Canadian government on the subject of online piracy. The organization represents a number of content creators, unions, guilds, producers, performers, broadcasters, distributors and exhibitors. According to the group, it will ask the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to take action to block piracy websites.
It suggests that the CRTC establish a new agency to be called the Independent Piracy Review Agency, which will identify websites that facilitate content piracy. It further proposes that the CRTC require Canadian internet service providers to block these sites from their customers.
"What we are proposing has been effective in countries like the UK, France and Australia," said Shan Chandrasekar, president and CEO of Asian Television Network and member of FairPlay Canada. "We are ardent supporters of this incredible coalition that has been formed to propose a new tool to empower the CRTC to address online piracy in Canada. We have great faith in Canadian regulators to modernize the tools available to help creators protect the content they make for Canadians' enjoyment."
Companies participating in FairPlay Canada include the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, Association québecoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle, et de la video, Asian Television Network, Association québécoise de la production médiatique, Bell, Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters, CBC/Radio-Canada, Les Cinémas Ciné Entreprise, Cinémas Guzzo, Cineplex, Canadian Media Producers Association, Cogeco Connexion, Corus, Directors Guild of Canada, DHX Media, Entertainment One, Ethnic Channels Group, Fairchild Media Group, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Landmark Cinemas, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Movie Theatre Association of Canada, Quebecor, Rogers Media, Television Broadcasts Limited, TIFF, Unifor, and Union des artistes.