Tariffs set by the Copyright Board Canada govern royalty rates and allocations. Issues raised during the tariff-setting process can either be settled by negotiation between retransmitters and collectives, or they can be argued formally before the Copyright Board. The current tariff - 2009 to 2013 - has not yet been certified, pending the outcome of two issues raised as follows: The CRC, along with all the other collectives, proposed an increase in the rate retransmitters pay, and have entered into negotiations on this point with retransmitters. The goal is to obtain a rate increase from the current 85 cents per subscriber per year, which would in turn mean more royalties for the programs owned by our rightsholders. The CRC is also looking at ways of increasing its share of royalties. Currently its share is 12.03% of all royalties paid by retransmitters in Canada. Again, an increased to the 12.03% allocation would translate to more royalties for our rightsholders. In the meanwhile, we are currently operating under an interim tariff. In advance of the final certified tariff, our affiliates will continue to receive royalties based on the 85 cent rate and our 12.03% share. The entire pool of royalties available to all collectives in 2010 is estimated at $90 million. The CRC's share of this is almost $11 million. For more on the Copyright Board Canada and tariffs: cb-cda.gc.ca |
