Canadian Government to Conduct Public Copyright Consultation
On July 20, 2009, the Government of Canada launched a consultation process to obtain input on copyright policy prior to amending the Copyright Act.
The government introduced Bill C-61 last year to amend the Copyright Act, but that Bill died on the order paper when the election was called. Bill C-61 received much criticism in some quarters for unreasonably favouring rights holders, although some in the recording industry said that it did not go far enough. Although there has been much disagreement over how the Act should be changed, most would probably agree that an amendment is overdue. The Obama administration has also been pressuring Canada to reform its copyright laws (see “Canada Placed on US IP Rights Priority Watch List,” E-TIPS®, Vol 7, No 22, May 6, 2009).
The government has posed five questions regarding copyright and has invited interested parties to submit answers to these questions online. They are also conducting town hall meetings in Montreal on July 30 and Toronto on August 27. The Toronto meeting is already full, with 300 people having registered, although the meeting will be webcast. Several round table meetings have also been held or scheduled with invited stakeholders and experts. Audio and video of these meetings will also be available online.
There are many contentious issues, such as protection of digital locks by anti-circumvention provisions, extending the fair dealing provisions, extending the term of protection to be the same as in the US, the need for large statutory damages for non-commercial infringement, and the extent to which Canada is bound by international treaties.
For the official government copyright consultation web site, visit:
http://copyright.econsultation.ca/
For news and commentary on the consultation, visit:
http://speakoutoncopyright.ca/
Summary by: Tom Feather
