Just as the Entertainment Industries Summit begins in Toronto, I received a press release from the Canadian Music Creators Coalition (CMCC) that responds to two events of recent weeks: the US$222,000 judgement against Minnesota mother of two, Jammie Thomas, for the downloading of US$25 worth of music; and the Canadian government’s plans to make copyright reform a priority as announced in last week’s throne speech.

Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies is a spokesperson for the coalition and is brilliantly quoted in the release.

“It’s shortsighted to say ‘See you in court’ one day and ‘See you at Massey Hall’ the next. If record labels want to try and sue fans, we hope that they’ll have the courtesy to stop trying to do it in our names.”

One can only hope that the CMCC can have an impact on the industry-friendly Conservative government. To them, Stephen Page said “If the Canadian government wants to reform copyright it should be creating a made-in-Canada solution that looks to where the music industry is going, not where it was.”

For more information on the coalition, visit the CMCC website and listen to an interview with Steven Page on the CMCC.