Canada’s Stance on Copyright vs.US’s

February 22, 2012 by Yonah
Filed under: Downloads

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore Endorses the Country’s New Copyright Law

Canada copyright legislation envisions a new different approach to copyright infringement, as opposed to the stringent and controversial U.S. legislation model, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore said Wednesday.

In an interview with CBC News, Moore stated that the Canadian government has refused to adopt the same aggressive measures promoted by legislation such as the Stop Online Piracy Act. The public’s perception on Bill C-11, the act that aims to adjust the copyright act, is generally positive, although there is still suspicion that the Canadian government’s stance might become more aggressive later on due to pressure by the U.S.

Unlike the intensely debated SOPA, which sees immediate removal of content upon complaint by the rights holder, Canadian legislation requests that internet providers notify infringers on behalf of the content creator prior to taking further measures, Moore explained.

Openmedia.ca, which advocates for open and affordable internet access, is satisfied with the overall legislation, although it has expressed concern regarding the digital locks provisions, said Steve Anderson, spokesman for the group.

The legislation tolerates the making of copies from one device to another, but renders the breaking of eventual digital locks illegal. Anderson fears that this measure will actually prevent people from accessing their own services and from accessing legal content.

“It’s a really easy change for them to make, which is basically just allowing Canadians to remove digital locks, to circumvent digital locks, when they’re accessing content legally. I think that’s a pretty common sense thing to allow,” he explained.

NDP MP Charlie Angus, the party’s critic on copyright and digital issues, stated that the bill is severely flawed, as the digital lock provisions will not only interfere with the legal rights of Canadians, but will hinder the ability of digital development as well.

Moore stated that despite all the criticism, nobody has brought forth a viable amendment for the digital locks provision, and the creative industries should decide how they want to address this issue themselves. Besides, as he pointed out, the music industry relies very little on digital locks, unlike the video gaming industry for instance, which depends heavily on their use.

The legislation proposed provides for reconsideration after five years. This means it can receive revisions and additions should the Parliament consider these necessary.
A special committee in charge with examining the legislation is scheduled to meet on Thursday to establish a preliminary list of witnesses to invite. MPs will examine the bill in depth by March 14 and the study will be concluded by March 29, when it will be reported back to the House of Commons.

Tags: copyright, copyright infringement, legal, US