Newfoundland & Labrador - Local 820
Neighbouring Rights
What are they and why should I care?
Have you ever played on a recording? If so, you may be entitled to payments under the Neighbouring Rights royalty system.
Registration is FREE, you do NOT have to be a member of our association or the AFM to register your rights and you are entitled to royalties even if the recording was NOT under AFM contract.
Neighbouring Rights is a relatively new royalty for Canadian musicians administered similarly to the performing rights royalties paid to Canadian composers, authors and music publishers. But whereas SOCAN royalties are paid to those who write, compose and publish a song, Neighbouring Rights are paid to those who perform on the recording.
About the Musicians’ Rights Organization of Canada (MROC)
The Musicians’ Rights Organization of Canada (MROC) was founded in 2009 as the successor organization to the Musicians Neighbouring Rights Royalties (MNRR) organization, a copyright collective created in 1998 by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). AFM now operates in Canada as the Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM).
Amendments to the Copyright Act of Canada implemented in 1997 created for performers the right to receive royalties from the broadcast, public performance or private copying of sound recordings on which they had performed. The new regime resulted in the formation of the Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada (NRCC), now Re:Sound, and the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC).
From 1998 to 2009, MNRR distributed to its musician assignors royalties received by Re:Sound and CPCC under tariffs approved by the Copyright Board of Canada. In 2009, the associated rights and responsibilities were transferred to MROC.
Although MROC functions as a separately incorporated organization from the Canadian Federation of Musicians, it maintains links to the CFM. The Vice-President from Canada of the AFM, who has responsibility for the operations of the CFM, the President of the Canadian Conference of Musicians and the President of the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) all serve as ex-officio directors of MROC.
Neighbouring rights royalties are paid retroactively to 1998 whereas royalties derived from the private copying levy are paid retroactively to 2000. If you are a recording artist or musician who has not yet assigned your rights to a copyright collective, you may be entitled to royalty revenue from the broadcast, public performance or private copying of sound recordings on which your performances are embodied.
To assign your rights or to obtain further information contact:
Musicians’ Rights Organization Canada (MROC)
Telephone: 416-510-0279 or Toll Free 1-855-510-0279
Text appears courtesy of www.cfmmusicians.org