Archive for December, 2011

Conservatives Defeat Liberal & NDP Bid to Block C-11

The majority Conservatives on Monday defeated a motion raised by the Liberals to stop Bill C-11 from being sent to committee and effectively kill the bill. While the vote was a foregone conclusion, the motion highlights the political divide that has emerged on the current copyright bill. All opposition parties – NDP, Liberals, Bloc, and Greens – supported the motion which read:

“the House decline to give second reading to Bill C-11, An Act to amend the Copyright Act, because it fails to: ( a) uphold the rights of consumers to choose how to enjoy the content that they purchase through overly-restrictive digital lock provisions; (b) include a clear and strict test for â€œfair dealingâ€ for education purposes; and (c) provide any transitional funding to help artists adapt to the loss of revenue streams that the Bill would cause”.

The Daily Digital Lock Dissenter, Day 42: Association of Canadian Publishers

The Association of Canadian Publishers represents approximately 135 Canadian-owned and controlled book publishers from across the country. The membership is diverse and includes publishers from a variety of genres. Over 80% of Canadian-authored titles are published by the Canadian-owned sector. The ACP’s 2009 national copyright consultation submission included the following on digital locks:

Penalties for circumventing TPMs must apply only to cases of actual infringement. There is no merit in penalizing individuals who circumvent TPMs but do not distribute the unlocked materials or otherwise infringe on copyright in a fair-dealing context. The use of proprietary TPMs tied to reader or player devices must not be allowed to create an uncompetitive retail environment, or a retail environment in which Canadian content is only minimally visible or available to Canadian consumers.