Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.

As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.

The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.

Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.

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Home » Recent News » Students Notified Under New Copyright Law


Students Notified Under New Copyright Law

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At the University of Manitoba, thousands of students are receiving letters claiming their IP address has been connected with illegal downloads. Dorms are hotbeds for digital piracy, but some of these warnings include the demand of settlement fees.

The notice system began in 2015 when new Canadian copyright laws went into effect. The University of Manitoba is now obligated to forward infringement notices to the users attached to the flagged IPs, or risk massive fines.

Joel Guénette, the University of Manitoba’s copyright strategy manager, says the letters border on extortion and advises against responding to the notices because they may not stop even once payment has taken place.

Barry Logan, managing director of Canadian Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement, a company that sends infringement notices for rights holders, notes that everyone has the right to ask for restitution before something becomes a matter for the courts. His company has retrieved $500,000 in settlements for rights holders.







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