The Liberal authorities has revived a invoice subjecting streaming corporations, akin to Netflix, to the identical guidelines as conventional Canadian broadcasters.
The On-line Streaming Act, launched Wednesday, would power net companies to supply a set quantity of Canadian content material and make investments closely in Canada’s cultural industries, together with movie, tv and music.
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Invoice C-11, as it’s recognized in Parliament, updates the 1991 Broadcasting Act which predates the web revolution that modified the best way individuals watch movie and video content material and hearken to music.
If handed, streaming companies, akin to Netflix, Crave and Spotify, could be regulated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Fee and required to spend money on Canadian cultural enterprises.
They’d additionally should decide to replicate variety of their programming, together with Indigenous content material.
Invoice C-11 updates controversial sections of a earlier invoice which critics stated might result in the regulation of individuals posting movies on YouTube.
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez stated at a press convention Wednesday that “cat movies” or social-media “influencers” wouldn’t be lined by the invoice.
The up to date laws would solely cowl business social media content material — akin to skilled music movies — and wouldn’t embody common residence movies posted on YouTube, akin to footage of kids or pets behaving in an amusing method.
Rodriguez stated the federal government had “listened to issues round social media and we fastened it.”
Rodriguez stated he deliberate to write down to the CRTC to ask it to outline exactly what constituted business social-media content material, and what wouldn’t qualify.
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Jeanette Patell, head of presidency affairs at YouTube Canada, stated its focus was the “curiosity of the 1000’s of Canadian digital creators and the thousands and thousands of Canadians who use YouTube daily.”
“We expect the federal government shares this curiosity,” she stated. “We’re nonetheless reviewing the impacts of the laws on our platform, and look ahead to working with them on this essential difficulty.”
The earlier invoice proposing to modernize the Broadcasting Act didn’t get by the Senate earlier than the September normal election, although it was handed by the Home of Commons with the backing of the Bloc Quebecois and NDP.
John Nater, the Conservative Celebration’s heritage critic, maintains the invoice was flawed and despatched a letter final week to Rodriguez calling on him to halt plans to reintroduce it.
The Canadian Media Producers Affiliation, which represents unbiased manufacturing corporations, welcomed the brand new invoice and stated it could “reinforce Canadian cultural sovereignty, requiring that international tech giants play by the identical guidelines as Canadian corporations.”
“The On-line Streaming Act should be sure that Canada’s indie producers have a good alternative to barter with content material patrons to personal, management and monetize the mental property that they develop and produce,” stated affiliation president Reynolds Mastin.
Stephane Cardin, head of public coverage at Netflix Canada, stated the corporate is “investing in Canadian creators and dealing with trade companions to carry Canadian tales to the world.”
“We’re reviewing the brand new laws, however help a forward-looking and versatile framework that acknowledges how completely different gamers contribute to our inventive system,” Cardin stated.
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Critics have raised issues that the invoice’s definition of what constitutes Canadian content material might exclude movies made in Canada with Canadian actors if key figures, akin to a author, director and producer, are from outdoors the nation.
Music written and produced by Canadian artists primarily based within the U.S. may additionally be deemed not Canadian, critics say.
Rodriguez stated he would ask the CRTC to obviously state what constitutes Canadian content material.
“The On-line Streaming Act will assist make it possible for our cultural sector works for Canadians and helps the subsequent technology of artists and creators on this nation,” he added.
Nater stated he supported the creation of a degree taking part in discipline between massive international streaming companies and Canadian broadcasters however was involved that the invoice impacts “the rights and freedoms of Canadians on the web.” He stated the Tories would oppose the laws if these issues usually are not addressed.
Peter Julian, the NDP’s heritage critic, stated he would undergo the brand new invoice “line by line” to see if it addressed the issues within the earlier model.
Marla Boltman, government director of Pals of Canadian Broadcasting, stated that updating the Broadcasting Act is lengthy overdue and sorely wanted to carry huge tech into the Canadian regulatory system.
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