Archive for October 27th, 2011

Conservative MP on C-11’s Digital Lock Rules: No Risk of Liability for Breaking Locks

Since the introduction of Bill C-11 last month, the digital lock rules have emerged as the most contentious aspect of the bill with both the NDP and Liberals indicating they cannot support the legislation without changes to those provisions. While most of the Conservative responses have stuck to the talking point that they believe the bill is balanced, Conservative MP Lee Richardson, a member of the Standing Committee on Industry, recently provided a constituent with another reason for why the public should not be concerned by the digital lock rules.  According to Richardson:

If a digital lock is broken for personal use, it is not realistic that the creator would choose to file a law suit against the consumer, due to legal fees and time involved.

In other words, Canadians should not be concerned by digital lock rules because they can simply break the lock without fear of being sued. Richardson’s response raises several issues.

First, it is surprising to find Conservatives seeking support for their bill on the basis that Canadians need not worry about liability if they violate its provisions. Copyright reform is supposedly about updating Canada’s copyright rules and fostering greater respect for copyright law. Yet the message from Richardson suggests the opposite since Canadians will have less respect for copyright law as even their MPs tell them they need not fear violating the law given the minimal likelihood of a lawsuit.

Read more ›

October 27, 2011 69 comments News

richardsonletter

Lee_Richardson_TPM_Response.pdf

Read more ›

October 27, 2011 Comments are Disabled General

The Daily Digital Lock Dissenter, Day 17: Film Studies Association of Canada

The Film Studies Association of Canada is a national association with the goal of fostering and advancing the study of the history and art of film and related fields. It represents film and media scholars and educators in universities and colleges across the country, providing scholarly support, organising an annual meeting, publishing an academic journal (The Canadian Journal of Film Studies), and advocating on behalf of its members. It provided a detailed submission to the copyright consultation, with a particular focus on digital locks:

Read more ›

October 27, 2011 2 comments News

Copyright Reform and the Case of Illicit T-Shirts

Jesse Kline has an notable op-ed in the National Post that criticizes Bill C-11’s digital lock rules. The column notes that just because someone breaks a digital lock does not mean they are infringing someone’s copyright.

Read more ›

October 27, 2011 3 comments News

Bill C-11 Legislative Committee Membership Set

The government has unveiled the membership of the legislative committee that will review Bill C11.  Members include Conservative MPs Scott Armstrong, Peter Braid, Paul Calandra, Dean Del Mastro, Mike Lake, Phil McColeman, and Rob Moore; NDP MPs Charlie Angus, Tyrone Benskin, Andrew Cash, and Pierre Nantel; and Liberal MP Geoff […]

Read more ›

October 27, 2011 3 comments News