DISCLAIMER: These are related links for ease of reference only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCFDA or its members.

View our April 20 Press Release Outlining the CCFDA's position on WIPO ratification.

View the Copyright Board's recent December 12th, 2003 decision here!

View the CCFDA’s December 12, 2003 press release on the Copyright Board’s 2003-2004 Private Copying Decision now!

View the CCFDA's September 15, 2003 Heritage Committee Summary Submission now!

View the transcript of the November 4, 2003 appearance of the Canadian Coalition for Fair Digital Access before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Race to be Canada's first music service is on "The race to launch Canada's first on-line download music service is on, with Moontaxi Media Inc.'s announcement that it plans to launch a system in September" Jack Kapika (Globe and Mail, May 30, 2003) Visit Link

Levy proposed to offset music piracy “Technology companies, retailers and users are all lining up against a proposal that could see the levy on blank CDs increase sharply, and expanded to cover new items like MP3 players and removable hard drives. ” Jeff Jedras (Silicon Valley North, March 2003 (Page 4)) Visit Link

Music industry still clueless “Despite two years of fiddling, not to mention the more than six years since digital music first hit the mainstream, these conglomerates still don't have a clue what they're doing.” Matthew Ingram (Globe and Mail, March 06, 2003) Visit Link

First payout of blank media levy totals almost $7-million “The $6.8-million was disbursed by the Canadian Private Copying Collective in late January as the initial instalment in a 50,000-cheque, $28-million payout that should be completed by the end of this year.” James Adams, (Globe and Mail, Feb 26, 2003) Visit Link

Don’t Sever a High-Tech Lifeline for Musicians "The Recording Industry Association of America recently won a court ruling that effectively will cut off the recording artists it represents from new listeners."Janis Ian, (L.A. Times, February 3, 2003) Visit Link

Music piracy levy is wrong headed “The Copyright Board began hearings last week to determine whether the music industry is permitted to increase and expand the scope of a levy on blank recording media.” Tyler Hamilton (Toronto Star, January 27, 2003) Visit Link

Facing the (downloaded) Music "With an already fickle and wary consumer, plus plenty of highly successfull rogue music providers out there, it's a make or break year for the fortunes of the Canadian music industry." James Adams (Globe and Mail, January 15, 2003) Visit Link

Canadians Burned By Blank CD Levy "Technology not taxation! That's the battle cry of the Canadian computer industry in a war of words being waged among groups representing the nation's music, technology and retail industries." Michelle Delio (WIRED News, January 8, 2003) Visit Link

Copyright concerns lead the year's big fusses and flaps "In 2002, the important developments in the computing business had little to do with hardware or software; instead, they revolved around a comparably bug-ridden realm, that of politics --- specifically, copyright politics." Rob Pegoraro, (Washington Post, Sunday, December 29, 2002) Visit Link

Christmas wielded as a weapon "The coalition protesting the levies is not a bunch of acne-ridden reprobates whining for more free stuff."Jack Kapica, (Globe and Mail, Monday, December 23, 2002) Visit Link

Coalition urges Ottawa to scrap levy on discs "System is flawed,' tech group insists Formal hearings to begin next month." Tyler Hamilton, Technology Reporter, (Toronto Star, Sunday, December 11, 2002) Visit Link

Coalition aims to tune out music levies If you plan to buy any blank CDs, audio tapes or MiniDisks in the near future, you might notice something different on your receipt -- the listing of a private copying levy, sometimes as high as 42 percent, seperated from the price of the product."CTV News Staff (December 10, 2002) Visit Link

High-Tech Honchos Take Aim At Levy. "Fees on blank recording media might increase. Recordable DVDs and MP3 players could also be hit." Tyler Hamilton, Technology Reporter (Toronto Star December 10, 2002) Visit Link

CCFDA Launches National Campaign Against Hidden Levies On Recordable Media Visit Link

Levy Hike Hits Harsh Chord “Coalition fighting proposed increase in blank-CD charge” Jim Jamieson, (Vancouver Province, Sunday, October 13, 2002) Visit Link

Copying Tax Makes the Innocent Pay "You may have heard that a rather gutsy organization called the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) wants to charge substantially higher higher tariffs on blank audio recording media, such as cassettes, CD-Rs, CD-Rws and Mini-Disks." Tyler Hamilton, Toronto Star (Monday, September 30, 2002) Visit Link

Net copyright reform: It's deep in policy agenda "Not surprisingly, digital copyright issues form a significant part of the review." Michael Geist, The Globe and Mail (Thursday, October 17, 2002) Visit Link

CBC Report: Recording Tax "Originally, the levy was for blank cassettes. Then, two years ago, recordable CDs were added to the list. Their levy: 21 cents each." Visit Link

Cash for Britney “Canada should repeal its levy on blank audio recording media before Canadians end up paying millions a year to the U.S. music industry”. Howard P. Knopf, National Post (Thursday, October 10, 2002) Visit Link

Canada Considers Blank Media Levy Hikes Set for ratification in September, and slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2003, the levies would cost media manufacturers and importers CAD 60 cents (1 CAD equals 0.631356 USD) for each audiocassette, 59 cents for each computer CD-R/-RW disc and $2.27 for each recordable or rewritable DVD Terence P. Keegan Visit Link

Tariff on Blank CDs? Blame Canada Canadians may soon be smuggling blank CDs across the border in an effort to avoid the high taxes that have been proposed for any recordable media that can be used to store music Michelle Delio Visit Link

Feds propose levy on recordable media The tariff itself can't be contested, the CPCC says in its proposal, but in accordance with the Copyright Act, Canadians can formally object to the amount of the tariffs and the media affected. Andrew Moore-Crispin Visit Link

The CD Tax Boondoggle The flow of money being generated by this tariff is staggering — even at the current rates. Over the past two years, $32-million has been received in total surcharges from Canadian consumers of blank media. More than $21-million has been derived directly from the tariff on the sale of CD-Rs. Saul Rothbart, Globe and Mail Update Visit Link

Sour Notes II It's a desperate move. It's like demanding the post office pay a levy based on the notion that some letters it delivers may contain illegal copies of copyright material. Jack Kapica, Globe and Mail Update Visit Link

Canadian Government Considers Tax On Writeable Media! Regardless of intended use, music industry would get money on any purchase of flash memory, micro hard-drive or writeable CD or DVD disc. Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource (Wednesday, March 13, 2002) Visit Link

Plan Could Boost CD prices, Aims To Recoup Royalties for Music Makers David Akin (Tuesday, March 12, 2002) A box of blank CDs could cost an extra $3 and some MP3 players an extra $100 if the Copyright Board of Canada approves a new royalty scheme being proposed by Canada's music makers.Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource (Wednesday, March 13, 2002) Visit Link

The Anti-Copyright Crusader: In these digital days, Russell McOrmond argues for consumers' rightto copy Given that the U.S. enacted a similar law a decade ago, perhaps it's not so far-fetched to look south to see what Canada might expect. Peter Hum, The Ottawa Citizen (Thursday, April 04, 2002) Visit Link

Is the Levy Too Heavy? Who Pays, Who Benefits from 'Tax' on Blank Media Many observers feel the government has overlooked or undervalued the use of blank tapes and CDs for other purposes. Visit Link

“Canada Mulls Blank CDR, MP3 Player Tax” Drew Cullen Visit Link

Audio Levies Threaten  Retail Sales Sean O'Connor, Canadian Retailer (September/October 2002) Visit Link

Letter to Mr. Claude Majeau Secretary General of the Copyright Board of Canada from Ms. Andrea Kopplhuber, President, ASAP-CD Solutions Visit Link

Letter to Mr. Claude Majeau Secretary General of the Copyright Board of Canada Re: Private Copying Tariff 2003-2004 by J. David Farnes, Vice-President Industry and Regulatory Affairs, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) Visit Link

Letter to Claude Majeau Secretary General Copyright Board Re: Comments on the Proposed Levies to be collected for the Sale, in Canada, of Blank Audio Recording Media During the Years 2003-2004 from L. Oliver, I.S.P. President, Canadian Information Processing Society Visit Link

Enviro Data’s Preliminary Statement of Position Re: Private Copying 2003-2004 (July 5, 2002) Visit Link

Blank "Audio" Media? Visit Link

“Proposed New Blank Media Levy Will Hurt Canadian Business More Than It Will Help the Music Industry” - Richard C. Pitt , Pacific Data Capture Visit Link

“Canada Announces Astronomical Tax (“Levy”) Increases On Recordable Media” Charles W. Moore, Contributing Editor, Applelinks (Wednesday, March 13, 2002 ) Visit Link

“The Grinch’s New Tape Tax: CTF Blasts Sheila Copps’ Latest New Tax Via the Copyright Board” Canadian Taxpayers Federation Visit Link

“OH CANADA! Canada to TAX MP3 Players $21CAD per GB!” www.dmusic.com The independent Digital Music Community Visit Link

An individual speaks out: letter sent to Sheila Copps and petition Visit Link

“Against Canada's proposed blank media levy” - Geoff Gasior Visit Link

CPCC’s Preliminary Statement of Position: as submitted to the Copyright Board. Visit Link

Copyright Board of Canada Visit Link