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The Daily Digital Lock Dissenter, Day 12: Canadian Association of Research Libraries

The members of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries are the 29 major academic research libraries across Canada together with Library and Archives Canada, the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) and the Library of Parliament. CARL’s position on digital locks is similar to the Canadian Library Association:

Circumventing technical measures that prevent access or copying should be permitted if the purpose of the circumvention is not an infringement of copyright.

On technological protection measures (TPM’s – digital locks), CARL is concerned that the anti-circumvention language will potentially prevent otherwise legal uses, such as fair dealing, of copyrighted materials when a TPM is applied to digital item. We would have preferred to see language in the bill limiting the penalization of the circumvention of TPM’s to infringing purposes.

Previous Daily Digital Locks: Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) BC, Canadian Consumer Initiative, Retail Council of Canada, Canadian Council of Archives, Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Documentary Organization of Canada, Canadian Library Association, Council of Ministers of Education Canada, Business Coalition for Balanced Copyright

7 Comments

  1. Peter Curtis, B.Ed., LL.B., M.L.S. says:

    Librarian/Instructor, Northern Teacher Education Program/Northern Professional Access College (NORTEP/NORPAC)
    First a bit of background information: NORTEP/NORPAC is situated in La Ronge in north-central Saskatchewan and is affiliated with both the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan. NORTEP/NORPAC has been delivering a 4 year B.Ed program (elementary level)since 1976, a 3 year general arts and science degree program since the late 1980s, and most recently, a preparatory nursing (R.N. or L.P.N.) program to Dene, Metis, Cree and other communities throughout northern Saskatchewan.

    Although I am not in a position to speak on behalf of NORTEP/NORPAC, I wish to add my voice and those of my colleagues with whom I’ve spoken about Bill C-11, to the chorus of professional and post-secondary educational associations already assembled and to express my concerns in particular with the draconian TPM provisions in this Bill’s most recent reincarnation, now before the Commons.

    My hope is that a healthy debate in both Houses of Parliament, and more particularly in committee hearings, will lead to a more balanced legislative approach to these very difficult issues, and protect both the creators’ and publishers’ legitimate rights for reasonable compensation for their work and the public’s personal and intellectual property rights legitimately acquired.

    Sincerely,

    Peter Curtis

  2. @Peter Curtis
    Peter, since this is not a fundamental discussion regarding “creators’ and publishers’ legitimate rights for reasonable compensation for their work and the public’s personal and intellectual property rights” (subjects like copyright term will not be discussed but treated as a given) I assume you mean “within the existing broader framework”.

  3. The internet treats censorship as a malfunction and routes around it – this is a form of censorship & thus will be automatically subverted by reversion to other channels of dissemination …

  4. A simple question
    Does the digital locks language in the Bill make anti-virus and anti-malware research illegal?

  5. Peter Curtis says:

    Librarian/Instructor
    @Byte
    Sorry for the confusion caused. Your assumption was correct: “within the existing broader context” expresses more accurately the point I was trying to express in the last sentence of my comment.

    I finally got around to subscribing to the blog late Wednesday, so, like someone arriving quite late to a reception or party, dove into an ongoing conversation, somewhat disoriented. Thanks for your clarification!


  6. We don’t need no scientific research. We can make a fortune selling $2 asian made flip-flops at $29 a pair. All they need is to be stamped with a well-known brand.


  7. And don’t you dare to stamp your $2 flip-flops with our brand. They’re trademarked, copyrighted and more recently TPMed. Muhahahha.