Post Tagged with: "digital locks"

Why Bill C-11’s Digital Lock Rules May Hurt Copyright Enforcement

The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, which is continuing its study on intellectual property, received some important evidence last week from an Ottawa firm focused on IP enforcement issues. Harry Page, the CEO of UBM TechInsights, told the committee that Bill C-11 will actually impede the ability to enforce intellectual property rights. Page’s concern is the same as that expressed by businesses, consumer groups, education: overbroad digital lock rules. According to Page:

we have a concern that aspects of the Copyright Act may actually have an unintended consequence with respect to our local technology community and our ability help people in the protection of their intellectual property. Specifically, our concern is that the anti-circumvention provisions could create legal uncertainty where that would actually discourage the use of forensics to detect infringement of other forms of intellectual property. Even though the fact is that the circumvention of those protection measures actually have nothing to do with the copyright material under protection.

While the committee legislation is now passed and will soon be enacted we will continue our pledge to continue to work with the government and the appropriate bodies to ensure that the regulatory language bringing the act into force are clear and precise so they do not hinder the full and forceful protection of Canadian intellectual property and the protection of intellectual property creators and owners in the international marketplace.

June 12, 2012 — 10 comments — News

India Passes Digital Lock Rules That Link Circumvention to Copyright Infringement

India’s two Houses of Parliament passed copyright reform legislation this month that includes digital lock provisions. The Indian approach is very similar to what dozens of groups recommended for Canada as it links circumvention to copyright infringement. The new Indian digital lock rules state: 65A. (1) Any person who circumvents […]

May 25, 2012 — 5 comments — News

Bill C-11 Enters Final House Debate With Green Party & Bloc Amendments

Bill C-11, the copyright reform bill, is scheduled for debate today, with a long list of proposed amendments from the Green Party’s Elizabeth May and from Bloc MP AndrÃ© Bellavance. Given the government’s previous rejection of NDP and Liberal amendments, there is little reason to believe any of these proposals […]

May 14, 2012 — 18 comments — News

Liberals Launch Bill C-11 Petition Calling for Balanced Digital Lock Rules

The Liberal Party has launched a petition calling for an amendment to the Bill C-11 digital lock rules. Consistent with views expressed from business groups, creator associations, consumer groups, and education associations, the petition calls for an amendment that would link circumvention to actual copyright infringement. It does so by […]

March 10, 2012 — 17 comments — News

Closing Time on C-11: Help Stop the Final Push for SOPA-Style Reforms & Efforts to Gut Fair Dealing

The long road of Canadian copyright reform is nearing an end as the Bill C-11 committee concluded hearing from witnesses yesterday and indicated that it will begin a “clause-by-clause” review of the bill starting on Monday. While there will still be some additional opportunities for debate – third reading in the House of Commons, Senate review – the reality is that next week’s discussion will largely determine the future of Canadian copyright law.

For the thousands of Canadians that have participated in consultations and sent letters to their MPs, there is reason for concern. On one side, there are the major copyright lobby groups who have put forward a dizzying array of demands that would overhaul Bill C-11. As I described it in a post yesterday:

The net effect of the music industry demands represents more than a stunning overhaul of Bill C-11 as it is effectively calling for a radical reform of the Internet in Canada. Taken together, the proposals would require Internet providers to block access to foreign sites, take down content without court oversight, and disclose subscriber information without a warrant. On top of those demands, the industry also wants individuals to face unlimited statutory damages and pay a new iPod tax. If that were not enough, it also wants an expanded enabler provision that is so broadly defined as potentially capture social networking sites and search engines.

On the other side, there are groups such as Access Copyright that are calling on their members to urge the government and committee MPs to undo the Supreme Court of Canada’s CCH decision on fair dealing.

March 8, 2012 — 40 comments — News