The cultural sector congratulates Minister Fortin's position on fiscal and regulatory fairness

MONTREAL, Sept. 22, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The newly formed coalition that last week issued a Declaration on the sustainability of cultural expression in the digital era welcomes the statement by the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mr. Luc Fortin, that Quebec could act on its own accord if Ottawa does not intervene to ensure financial and regulatory equity for Canadian and non-Canadian Internet broadcasters.

The organizations that formed the coalition were very pleased that the Minister shares their concerns about the critical importance of fiscal and regulatory fairness between participants in the cultural sector.  The coalition shares the Minister's position that nations must apply a consistent regulatory framework for all parties, including digital multinational corporations.

The threat posed by very large internet corporations to the cultural ecosystem in Quebec and Canada underscores the importance of a bold and forward-thinking approach such as that taken by Quebec's Minister. This is the type of approach that should be central to the policy that Minster Joly is expected to announce in the next several days. We believe that, like Mr. Fortin, Ms. Joly should draw inspiration from the mechanisms being put in place by nations around the world to address the threat posed by very large digital multinationals. 

The coalition's Declaration does not deal solely with fiscal matters. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring sufficient support for creation and production, as well as the continuation of regulatory measures to showcase Canadian content on all platforms. Finally, adequate financing of the ecosystem, including through a revision of the Copyright Act, is essential to safeguard the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by Canada's cultural and media enterprises and organizations.

Standingforculture.info

The declaration's first signatories included nearly forty organizations representing hundreds of thousands of people. Within a week more than 3,000 people and organizations had joined on, in Quebec as well as in Canada. www.standingforculture.info provides a copy of the Declaration which can be signed by anyone or any organization wishing to lend their support to this important initiative. 

Signatories :

• Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC)
• Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA)
• Alliance québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son (AQTIS)
• ARTISTI
• Association des professionnels de l'édition musicale (APEM)
• Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec (APCQ)
• Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ)
• Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL)
• Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM)
• Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ)
• Association québécoise des cinémas d'art et d'essai (AQCAE)
• Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
• Conseil québécois des arts médiatiques (CQAM)
• Destiny Tchéhouali, directeur de l'Observatoire des réseaux et interconnexions de la société numérique (ORISON) ? UQAM
• DOC Canada, incluant sa division du Québec
• Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF)
• Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ)
• Front des réalisateurs indépendants du Canada (FRIC)
• Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC)
• Guilde canadienne des réalisateurs (GCR)
• Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec (GMMQ)
• Les Amis de la radiodiffusion canadienne
• L'Observatoire du documentaire
• Michèle Rioux, directrice du Centre d'études sur l'intégration et la mondialisation (CEIM)
• On Screen Manitoba
• Performers' Rights Society (PRS)
• Québec Cinéma
• Quebec English-language Production Council (QEPC)
• Regroupement des artisans de la musique (RAM)
• SOCAN
• Société de gestion collective des droits des producteurs de phonogrammes et de vidéogrammes du Québec (SOPROQ)
• Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC)
• Société du droit de reproduction des auteurs compositeurs et éditeurs au Canada (SODRAC)
• Société Internet du Québec
• Société professionnelle des auteurs et compositeurs du Québec (SPACQ)
• Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP) et son Conseil provincial du secteur des communications (CPSC)
• Syndicat des employées et employés professionnels-les et de bureau (SEPB)
• Table de concertation de l'industrie du cinéma et de la télévision de la Capitale-Nationale
• Unifor-Québec
• Union des artistes (UDA)

SOURCE Alliance québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son (AQTIS)