Executive Summary
As the oldest and largest professional association representing the multimedia content production industry in Canada, IMAT is dedicated to fostering the growth, promotion and international recognition of the interactive multimedia industry in Canada.
In defining "new media", the distinguishing factor for IMAT is the involvement of the computer to facilitate user control and interactivity of digitally stored information; this information can be presented using text, graphics, sound, animation and still or motion pictures.
New media products and services are increasingly delivered via the Internet. This has important implications with respect to global competition and considerations with respect to market entry. Canadians have demonstrated their ability to participate in this global market. The structure of the Internet and the interactivity of new media mean that distributors and producers do not have the control that is possible with respect to traditional media. This, in turn, means that regulatory control of new media is not possible according to the regulatory model used for broadcasting.
It is IMAT's view that regulation of new media would not be effective, nor would it contribute to the cultural objectives of the Broadcasting Act. It would burden an industry at a crucial stage of its development. An enabling framework for new media should include financial support mechanisms combined with a policy focus on new media as an important national industry in a globally-targeted knowledge-based economy. Linkages between industry groups and government bodies are essential and should be strengthened to assist with the development of industry supports for development and for promotion. Industry groups, such as the umbrella group formed by IMAT and APMQ, should be actively involved in ensuring that laws with respect to privacy and offensive content on the Internet are enforced, and that necessary changes are made. New media needs to be recognized and supported as a unique cultural industry.
Currently, new media producers earn most of their revenue from the creation of fee-for-service products, with the result that they cannot earn a continuing stream of income from original content development. There is little financial strength within this fledging industry. Support is needed to ensure that the Canadian new media industry is able to produce works for the Canadian market and also to enter the competitive global markets for new media. Financial support, including tax-based incentives such as those used to support the filmed entertainment industry, to support the Canadian new media industry, is essential. Existing funding mechanisms have been appreciated by the industry, but can extended and need to be improved.
Focus on the distribution of new media should be on producers of "meta-sites", "gateways" or "portals" that can assist with the promotion of Canadian-produced content and the development of a Canadian distribution system for CD-ROM titles. However, again, the broadcasting model cannot be applied to the new media realm, as such distributors do not exert control over content and user choice.
In this submission, IMAT refers to:
- the August 1998 "backgrounder" prepared by Omnia Research for the CRTC in this proceeding (the Omnia backgrounder);
- the March, 1998 Wall Communications Inc. study on new media prepared for Industry Canada, Canadian Heritage and the CRTC (the Wall study); and
- the February 1998 report of the "CanCon New Media Sessions" conducted by Froman and Associates with participation from IMAT, APMQ, New Media West and MediaFusion, sponsored by Stentor Resources Centre (the CanCon Sessions).
IMAT acts as the primary professional association for the multimedia content production industry in Canada. IMAT's members include developers, content providers and other professionals who actively participate in the interactive multimedia production industry in Canada or whose business interests give rise to less active involvement. IMAT was formed in January 1995, the result of a merger of the Canadian Computer Graphics Association and the International Multimedia Development Association. Currently representing approximately 700 multimedia practitioners and companies from all 10 provinces within Canada, IMAT is this country's largest and fastest growing non-profit, member supported association dedicated to fostering the growth, promotion and international recognition of a world-class interactive multimedia industry in Canada.
In September 1998, IMAT and the Association des Producteurs en Multimédia du Québec (APMQ) announced their intention to establish an umbrella organization to unite multimedia producers across the country. This organization will allow the multimedia industry in Canada to represent all stakeholders and to speak with one voice on national issues.
IMAT has participated in previous CRTC proceedings on the Information Highway and on the telephone companies' broadcasting distribution undertaking license applications. In its work on behalf of its members, IMAT has developed relationships with a number of federal and provincial government departments and has participated in a variety of consultations including those with: Heritage Canada; Industry Canada; the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Telefilm Canada; the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development; the Ontario Ministry of Trade, Culture, Tourism and Recreation; and the Ontario International Trade Corporation. IMAT is also active internationally, and has participated in discussions with multimedia organizations in the United States, Switzerland, and Britain, and has contributed material to the Geneva meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization with respect to international copyright agreements.
Defining "New Media"
IMAT notes the working description of new media proposed by the CRTC in its public notice:
"New media can be described as encompassing, singly or in combination, and whether interactive or not, services and products that make use of video, audio, graphics and alphanumeric text; and involving, along with other, more traditional means of distribution, digital delivery over networks interconnected on a local or global scale".
As noted by the Commission, under this description, "virtually all services found on the Internet could be considered as forms of new media".
The Wall study referred to new media as having three essential elements: digitization, interactivity and interconnected networks. Omnia's backgrounder noted that the principal features of new media are that: it is delivered online, typically over the Internet; available in real time or on demand; it may be interactive; and, usually, the content is available in digital form.
IMAT's working definition for multimedia is:
"A relatively new communications medium that empowers the user by integrating the controlling and processing capabilities of computers with digitally stored information that can be presented using text, graphic, sound, animation, and still or motion pictures. The distinguishing factor for multimedia over other more traditional media is the computer involvement as a controller, manipulator and delivery platform."
IMAT's definition includes but is not restricted to new media materials that are delivered via the Internet. A user can interact with "stand-alone" CD-ROM applications delivered via a computer platform as well as with real-time applications delivered via a network of networks. IMAT's definition has evolved since that used in its Survey of the Multimedia Industry in Canada in 1995:
(Interactive) Multimedia can be defined as an interactive presentation of electronic (digital) information which incorporates two or more media elements (e.g., graphics, text, animation, video or sound) for playback on a computer moderated device, whether delivered by CD-ROM or a network.
IMAT's current definition places more emphasis than the CRTC's definition on the elements of delivery by computer and interactivity. From the perspective of content producers, this emphasis is crucial. IMAT suggests that it is important to distinguish new media from traditional media that could otherwise be captured by very broad definitions such as that proposed by the CRTC.
