Balancing the complexities of copyright, maintaining fairness to the holder – all while staying ahead of the ever changing advancements in the era of technology, is the task faced by the Canadian government. Back at the round table, lawmakers are rehashing the balancing act. Present law sets a maximum penalty for private infringements of copyright at C$20,000 per infringement. New legislation would reduce that maximum to C$500. Commercial pirating would continue to face severe liabilities in corporate lawsuits and be subject to criminal prosecution, with penalties of up to five years in prison.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government, struggling to stay ahead of fast-moving technological developments, will launch consultations next week to help it craft new copyright legislation.

The U.S. Trade Representative fingered Canada in April, putting it on its priority watch list because of growing concerns about what it sees as weak protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

There is always a struggle between pleasing copyright holders and users, a balance that tries to recognize the modern reality of an increasingly tech-savvy population while not eliminating ownership rights protection for companies and artists.

Excerpts provided by Yahoo News

The fact is, in the words of Harvard Entertainment law professor Lawrence Lessig, copyright law is broken, and no amendment will fix the fact that society has changed not only the way it views infringement, but uses intellectual property as a form of expression, and copyright law needs to reflect that.

To learn more about what’s really going on with Canadian copyright and find our what you can do, visit Michael Geist, Canadian advocate for copyrigh reform.

To most artists who desire the opportunity to be creative above all else, the business part of it is daunting. To make a living off your music, you have to take on an active role in promoting and managing your own product, just like any other smart business person.

Creative beings are at times overwhelmed with the minutia of their craft’s business dealings, and may often omit – albeit unknowingly, the fine details and small print related to getting music to market or advancing their career. The business of your music is as important to your career, as your art. This is another mantra that should be recalled daily.

It’s not necessary that you develop a critical understanding of the music business at the level of a trained professional, but knowledge of the concepts, and methodologies used to manage the legal, financial, and ethical issues facing the music business professional is empowerment to you as an artist. As your popularity and fan base grows, the need to recruit qualified professionals is more evident. The ability to discern, monitor and manage your team is critical.

In order to assist you in the business of a “do-it-yourself” music career – Web 2.0 professionals are available. Making your own decisions, and learning everything about this exciting and passionate industry runs deep through your veins as a life source. Failing to realize your dreams is not an option for you – being unsuccessful is not in your vocabulary. You are a talented, ambitious soul – excited to let the world hear your art – don’t get lost in the red tape, and don’t give your powerful energy away.

Remember this mantra “The business of your music is as important to your career as your art” – be a savvy, and creative businessperson. Be a well rounded, polished professional, respected among your peers and manage your formula for success!

NEW YORK, July 1 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Music Entertainment (SME) today announced that it has entered into a global partnership with IODA to create a new leading distribution and services network for independent rights holders. As part of the partnership, Sony Music has made a strategic investment in IODA, a leader in digital distribution, marketing, and technology solutions for the independent music industry. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a statement released by Kevin Arnold, Founder and CEO of IODA, “Sony really impressed us with their respect for, and understanding of the needs of the independent community.” He adds, “We remain, as we always have, fully dedicated to helping independent content owners succeed in the digital world. This alliance will greatly enhance IODA’s ability to continue delivering effective solutions for Independents.”

The question arising out of this major merger or “Partnership”, is how will the independent label community react? After all, the I in IODA is supposed to stand for Independent. What we do know is that some indie labels are seen at times to be in distrust of large corporations. We know that IODA gains a strong marketing partner in Sony. Sony operating through its independent distribution subsidiary RED taps into IODA’s digital distribution system worldwide. Released in the Newswire, Sony identifies making a strategic investment in IODA. Sony’s subsidiary, RED will continue to offer digital distribution services and IODA will be an added option for clients who need other services than what RED currently provides, specifically more indie-focused marketing and global distribution services.

In time, the answer will unfold as to how the independent community will react to this meeting of corporate minds. What is clear – did we honestly think – major corporations, responsible to their shareholders, would sit on the sidelines for long – better yet, did they ever sit on the sidelines? Or were they just waiting for the savvy, independents like IODA to work hard, build and develop this growing, transitioning industry, and then come in when the time was ripe and call “Merger” aka “Partnership”.

Corporate strategy and business development in true form. Sony’s way of addressing the changing needs of their market without doing due diligence to innovate and make changes necessary themselves from scratch.

Planning then crafting a clear strategy before promoting yourself is the first step in a successful music marketing campaign. It’s an exciting and enthusiastic time, but be careful, the internet is a bottomless database pit. Once posted, once said, and twice repeated, bytes of data remain infinitely embedded in the pages of the world wide web. What might be cute, cool or “bad ass” today, could bite you in your bad ass years from now and might not be so cute, cool or earn you any props.

Presenting yourself in a truthful and professional manner is key to developing and packaging your image. “Pretending to be more than you are – Lying in marketing” – is a great article written by Loren Weisman of the Music Think Tank. We may not agree with Mr. Weisman’s “play it safe” underlying theory, but do agree with keeping it real always. Always have confidence and faith in your talent. Accept and honor where you’re at in this journey. Never “Pretend” to possess unsubstantiated “Bling” or to have accomplished the money and the fame before you make it – don’t lie about your assets, if you’re a starving artist, you’re a starving artist, let your fans share with you, your climb to the top. Take charge of all the wonders of technology that’s available to you. Entertain your fans with your charming personality – let them into your career. Human nature gravitates toward the humble, and when the time comes for you to show your edge, your fans will welcome your success with open arms. Mr. Weisman when he states: “A strong professional package and promotional presence goes a very long way while a fake or weak presence will hurt you more than you know.” We’re not even discussing the business aspect – that’s another posting!

The story of a young man known as Souljaboy tellem comes to mind – his “do-it-yourself” marketing campaign built his fan base, his recognition, and he rose to the top by using an honest portrayal of his talent, personality and character. When asked what was the secret of his success, he’s reported as saying he was having fun, and he kept it real. Watch this sample of how this young master continues to reach out to his fans!

Honesty, hard work, taking a few risks, and fine tuning your art, is how to present yourself, your music and your career.