Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda has announced new financial support for Nettwerk, the leading Canadian indie label that has publicly fought against the use of DRM and the RIAA's litigation strategy.
Archive for April 4th, 2007
Thinking Outside the Canadian Copyright Box
The Hill Times this week features my special opinion piece on copyright issues (Hill Times version (sub req), homepage version). The column calls attention to Bruce Lehman's recent acknowledgement that "our Clinton administration policies didn't work out very well." Lehman followed the criticism of U.S. policy by issuing a challenge to Canada, urging policy makers and political leaders to think outside the box on future reform. Lehman argued that Canada was well-positioned to experiment with new approaches consistent with international copyright law and I add that there are some obvious differences between Canada and the U.S. including our trade differences (copyright exporter vs. importer) and the success of the Canadian music market (faster digital download sales growth, more online music sellers on a per capita basis).
Given the Canadian marketplace realities and the Lehman recommendation to chart our own course on copyright, how might Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda respond? I point to three possibilities.
Thinking Outside the Canadian Copyright Box
Appeared in the Hill Times on April 2, 2007 as Thinking Outside the Canadian Copyright Box Last month, McGill University hosted an important conference on the future of copyright and the music industry. The conference brought together music notables such as famed producer Sandy Pearlman and NDP Heritage critic Charlie […]
What If YouTube Was Sued in Canada?
My colleague Jeremy deBeer assesses the legal issues from a Canadian perspective.
Quebec Author Lobby Issues Copyright Position Paper
CultureLibre reports that the UNEQ, the primary Quebec author lobby group, has issued a new copyright position paper that criticizes the expansion of fair dealing and calls for an extended licensing system.