Post Tagged with: "copyright for canadians"

61 Reforms to C-61, Day 30: TPMs – Anti-circumvention and Privacy

The inclusion of a privacy exception within Bill C-61's anti-circumvention provisions was not particularly surprising given that the U.S. DMCA includes one and there has been mounting concern about the privacy implications of DRM.  The issue has captured the attention of the Canadian privacy community for the past few years.  In 2006, a group of privacy and civil liberties organizations and experts sent a public letter to the responsible ministers calling for assurances that:

  1. any proposed copyright reforms will prioritize privacy protection by including a full privacy consultation and a full privacy impact assessment with the introduction of any copyright reform bill;
  2. any proposed anti-circumvention provisions will create no negative privacy impact; and
  3. any proposed copyright reforms will include pro-active privacy protections that, for example, enshrine the rights of Canadians to access and enjoy copyright works anonymously and in private.

The group (of which I am a member) sent a follow-up letter earlier this year as did Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart, who posted a public letter expressing concern that copyright reform could have a negative impact on privacy. Given those concerns, an exception to protect personal information is not unexpected. However, Section 41.14 fails to provide Canadians with full privacy protection and Bill C-61 unquestionably makes it more difficult for Canadians to effectively protect their privacy.  

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August 1, 2008 10 comments News

“They Haven’t Waited for the DMCA”

A blog reader posts another C-61 mashup titled "They Haven't Waited for the DMCA."

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July 31, 2008 4 comments News

IT World Canada Launches C-61 Petition

ITWorldCanada has launched a new petition on C-61, focusing on anti-circumvention legislation. The petition adopts an approach that preserves permitted uses by calling for reform of the bill by amending the anti-circumvention provisions to read: "No person shall circumvent a technological measure within the meaning of paragraph (a) of the […]

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July 28, 2008 1 comment News

61 Reforms to C-61, Day 26: TPMs – Encryption Research Exception Requires Notice

As discussed in the last entry, Bill C-61 includes an exception for encryption research much like the U.S. DMCA.  The U.S. DMCA exception has been widely criticized as providing insufficient legal protection for legitimate encryption research, leading to significant concerns in the research community about the prospect for liability.  The […]

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July 28, 2008 16 comments News

61 Reforms to C-61, Day 25: TPMs – Research Exception Limited to Encryption and Security Testing

Bill C-61 includes two exceptions relevant for researchers: an exception at Section 41.13 limited to encryption research (unlike the U.S. DMCA, encryption research is not defined) and security testing at Section 41.15, which could be construed to include security research on computer or network vulnerabilities.  The impact of the anti-circumvention […]

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July 25, 2008 6 comments News