Lily-livered liberals who spend too much time on the internet are blowing their load over alleged copyright infringement by record labels. Not many people have heard of that backwater known as Canada (they have music there too apparently) but due to a quirk in Canadian law, members of the Canadian Recording Industry Association could face damages of up to $6 billion.
The legal change took place in the 1980s and allows record labels “to use songs as long as they pinky swore they would get authorization and pay the artist for it eventually.” These were often for compilation albums and the like. However, the labels never bothered to get permission and have now run up a list of 300,000 songs where they should have paid royalties. The lawsuit is “asking for both statutory and punitive damages for the labels' behaviour... meaning that the labels could be asked to pay up to $20,000 per infringement.”
Big deal! When you think of all the quality artists like Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, and Justin Timberlake that the labels have promoted over the years they should be given a break. The artists can handle the loss in revenue at any rate. They’re still raking the cash in. Who gives a fuck about what happens in Canada anyway?
