David Dyer, a senior consultant for The Capital Hill Group, Ottawa, has been retained as a lobbyist at the federal government level to represent the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC). His work will be on the direct behalf of the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd., Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada, the Society for Reproduction Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers in Canada, and for the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, which are listed as "direct interests" in the lobbyist’s registration form. The CPCC is currently asking the Copyright Board of Canada to raise existing levies on blank recording media, as well as create new levies for devices such as MP3 players (CNM, Mar. 27/02).
Dyer has extensive experience with intellectual property law. In the late 1980s, Dyer served as chief of staff to Harvie Andre, then-minister of Industry, Consumer and Corporate Affairs and responsible for amendments to the Patent Act. Those reforms extended patent protection on pharmaceutical inventions from 17 to 20 years, and also had the practical effect of ending compulsory licensing to competitors for 7-10 years.
Dyer’s experience with media firms, including broadcasters, music concerns and film companies, is considerable. Former clients include BMG Direct Marketing Inc., the James Shavick Film Co. Ltd. (seeking CAVCO tax credit aid), BC Tel (on broadcast and telecom issues), Craig Broadcast (to fight CanWest’s appeal to Cabinet after CanWest lost an application to Craig to run two Alberta TV stations. The appeal was denied), Loews Cineplex Entertainment and Sony Retail Entertainment (foreign investment considerations), and the Canadian Independent Film & Video Fund.
He continues to be registered as a lobbyist on behalf of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, Cineplex Odeon Corp., the Canadian Publishers’ Council, AOL Canada (on third-party access, privacy and the AOL Time Warner acquisition, see CNM, Feb. 7/02 & brief, this issue), as well as the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (on drug advertising).
Dyer’s firm, The Capital Hill Group, is well-connected within the department of Canadian Heritage. Head Herb Metcalfe’s wife Isabel Metcalfe is Sheila Copps’ s senior campaign advisor.