CRIA has issued a press release hailing a Toronto police raid that resulted in criminal charges for counterfeiting of movies, music, video games, electronic equipment, and clothing. The arrests come following six months of investigation. Stopping counterfeiting is a good thing and this is how the system should work. Indeed, CRIA claims that they issued warnings months ago, however, the counterfeiting continued.
Yet CRIA's takeaway in the aftermath of police cooperation leading to a successful investigation and arrests is truly puzzling. According to the release, CRIA President Graham Henderson says "the growing brazenness of counterfeiters and availability of pirated goods are further evidence that Canada needs tougher laws and enforcement to end these criminal activities. The Toronto Police and other legal authorities in Canada need stronger tools and more resources to deter rampant intellectual property theft."
In other words, an incident demonstrating that the law works means that we need new laws?
Naturally
When you view Canada from the perspective that our IP laws are inadequate, almost everything will be interpreted as reinforcing that view.
Have the content industries *ever* been happy with Canadian law ? Or have they responded to new laws with “some of this is great, but we still need…” ?
Well-put comment, Michael. It is very strange to couple a success story with a call for change to the conditions that brought about the success. Then again, I’ve never known any content-licensing organization to be fully satisfied with any copyright law. I think it’s a reflex posture they have to any discussion about license rights enforcement.
“Counterfeiting and Internet piracy were primarily responsible for an unprecedented 35 percent decline in sales of CDs, music DVDs and other “physical” music formats in the first quarter of 2007 compared with the same period a year earlier. This came on top of an almost unbroken string of declines since the widespread advent of unauthorized file-swapping in 1999 and the proliferation of CD and music DVD counterfeiting in recent years.
Since CRIA began dedicated anti-counterfeiting operations almost one year ago, the association and police have seized more than 75,000 CDs and issued 20 cease-and-desist orders against retailers of illicitly copied music.”
I just love buzz words. Show me any other CRIA release prior to 5 months ago with any “counterfeiting” hurting music claim as prominent as the more recent releases.