NDP MP Charlie Angus is accusing the Conservatives of trying to undermine a levy that pays musicians for digital copying. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

An Ontario MP is accusing the federal Conservatives of failing to protect a levy that ensures Canadian musicians get paid when their work winds up on iPods and other digital players.

Charlie Angus, the NDP representative for Timmins-James Bay, used the Juno Awards in St. John's this weekend to draw attention to copyright laws, which Angus says need to be modernized.

Angus has written a private member's bill that would protect the Private Copying Levy, which aims to ensure artists are paid for private copying of their music.

Angus said federal Heritage Minister James Moore has been too critical of the levy, and does not understand how important it is to musicians.

"Minister Moore has denounced it as a killer tax. They've thrown around pretty outrageous numbers about what the levy would cost, and [have been] saying that it would be on everything that you buy — laptops, every hard disc," Angus told CBC News.

"It's not true. I think Minister Moore is doing a disservice to the artists of Canada by going after the levy in such a hard way."

Angus's bill, C-499, would extend the private copying levy to devices that can reproduce songs and videos, including MP3 players and computers.

The levy, which has been in place for 13 years, is currently applied only to blank CDs.

The bill passed last week in the House of Commons, but must clear more hurdles before it becomes law.

Angus, a former member of the bands L'Etranger and Grievous Angels, is a two-time Juno nominee himself.

Moore, who also attended the Juno Awards, made some spending announcements before the ceremony. For instance, he said $2.5 million will be provided for a variety of cultural and artistic projects in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Moore also introduced a segment during the live broadcast with Toronto singer Jully Black.

Angus said he found it hypocritical that Moore and other federal Conservatives were getting their photos taken with recording artists while Moore has been trying to undermine the levy.