SOCAN made a submission to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission) on Jan. 20, 2025, advocating for the support of both Canadian screen composers and Canadian syncs for songwriters, in the CRTC’s ongoing consultations about implementation of the Online Streaming Act (formerly Bill C-11).
This consultation is focused on modernizing the definition of “Canadian program” – essentially, the classification system that determines whether a screen production is Canadian or not. The current system requires six out of 10 key creative points to achieve Canadian status, meaning that Canadians fill key creative positions like director, scriptwriter, editor, music composer, and other roles. The CRTC is suggesting additional key creative roles should be added, like showrunner, costume designer, make-up artist, and visual effects creator, to move to a new system requiring nine out of 15 key creative points.
Of importance for our members, the CRTC suggested an amendment to the key creative point for music composers – one which would allow this point to be achieved if a Canadian music composer is hired to create music for the production or if a Canadian rightsholder owns the rights to the syncs of songs used in the production. SOCAN was deeply concerned that this would affect the hiring of Canadian music composers, and submitted that this should not be an “either/or” proposition – we should encourage the use and recognition of both Canadian screen composers and Canadian syncs in screen productions that are certified as Canadian.
Additionally, SOCAN responded to a question in the consultation about whether AI-generated content should be considered Canadian content with a firm “no,” on the basis that AI-generated content is not protected by copyright.
The CRTC will review all submissions provided and set up in-person hearings in March 2025 for further information before making its decision.