Now this is interesting. Musicians in Canada are recognizing that P2P filesharing is an entity that cannot be stopped and contained. Members of the Songwriters’ Association of Canada (SAC) and Canadian Music Creators Coalition (CMCC) have come up with a proposal that would make filesharing legal, but would still incorporate a way for musicians to be paid.
This is one of the most sensible things to have surfaced about P2P filesharing in recent months. It comes not from the record labels, but from the musicians themselves, who are clearly willing to embrace filesharing and free music downloads.
The plan is not to change the way Canadians get their music, but to move with the times and utilize it more effectively. In Canada, an estimate 1.6 billion music files are shared each year, compared with just 38 million a year that are bought. The proposal seeks to implement a license fee that would be paid by all Internet users and go back into the music industry and to the musicians.
The proposal is for a fee of $5. Imagine if this were to be picked up in the US. The RIAA must be shaking in its boots. Read the full story here.