B.C. musician decries VANOC's control of song rights

A Vancouver musician is upset with the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC)for requiring her to sign away the rights to asong she wrote for the 2010 Winter Games if she wants it used during the event.

Professional singer and songwriter Nicole Scoffield wrote a composition called Sea to Skyway about the road that links Vancouver and Whistler, which come February, will be the main sites of Olympic sport events.

Scoffield sent the song to VANOC, as well as to B.C. premier Gordon Campbell and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

She got a shock when officials at VANOC sent her a contract demanding she give up ownership and royalties even before they would listen to it.

The agreement would also give the organizing committee unrestricted rights to use the song however they saw fit.

"I've been an artist my whole life, [and] I'm not living in a glamourous situation," Scoffield told CBC Radio.

"I put my heart and soul into writing this piece and it's very heartbreaking when you put so much effort, time, your own money, into something, and they essentially want to steal it from you."

Entertainment lawyer Doran Chandler agrees.

"I'd take issue with it if I was an artist submitting material knowing that I don't get a chance to discuss how it's going to be used, just for showing it to them," he said.

There's been no comment from VANOC. However, officials did reply to Scoffield's concerns and defended the contract as important protection for all involved.

In the end, Scoffield decided to post her song online instead.

The lyrics to the chorusof Sea to Skyway are:

I can see some good times on the road up ahead / Moment by moment without regret / The world together in the spirit of peace / Drinking hot chocolate under a maple leaf / Upon the sea to skyway / Going higherand higher and higherand higher.