If you manufacture or import sound carriers which reproduce copyrighted songs without obtaining a mechanical licence for each song (either directly from the publisher or through CMRRA) then you have infringed the copyrights in question. Canada’s copyright legislation provides for civil penalties and criminal prosecution for copyright infringement. If a product contains unlicensed music, it can be removed from the market by way of injunction. As well, anyone handling infringing merchandise is likewise guilty of infringement – including distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Copyright is the basis of the music industry. Without copyright protection, rightsholders would be unable to assure themselves of a reasonable return and the protection of law for their products. If you manufacture or import sound carriers into Canada, you must obtain licences. It’s the law.
For more information, please visit our Music Copyright & Publishing FAQ.
