Post Tagged with: "c-32"

“Copyright Reform Needs ‘Made in Canada’ Approach”

The Vancouver Sun features an op-ed on Bill C-32 which argues the bill "contains serious flaws and undue restrictions on consumer freedom."

Read more ›

June 14, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

Setting the Record Straight: 32 Questions and Answers on C-32’s Digital Lock Provisions, Part Four

The first three posts on the 32 Questions and Answers on Bill C-32's digital lock provisions focused first on general issues in the bill, second on C-32's circumvention exceptions, and third on the missing exceptions.  Today's post discusses the consumer-focused provisions in the bill. For those that want it all in a single package, I've posted the full series as PDF download.

The Consumer Provisions

This section features answers to the following questions:

  • Bill C-32 purports to allow consumer to legally shift music from CDs to their iPods or other devices.  Do they lose that right if there are digital locks on their CD?
  • Does Bill C-32 allow consumers to make legal backup copies of most commercial DVDs?
  • Does Bill C-32 allow consumers to shift content from a DVD to a portable video player such as an iPad?
  • C-32 purports to allow consumer to legally record television shows, yet cable companies are increasingly inserting anti-copying technologies into some broadcasts?  Does C-32 allow for those programs to be recorded?
  • C-32 includes an exception for unlocking cellphones.  Isn't that a positive new development?
  • Does C-32 require businesses to notify consumers about the presence of digital locks?
  • Isn't there an "analog hole" that would allow someone to record a DVD without circumventing the digital lock?

Read more ›

June 11, 2010 22 comments News

The Government’s Standard Form Response to C-32 Letters

Government MPs have begun responding to constituent letters on Bill C-32.  The current letter is very detailed with a lengthy discussion on the merits of the bill.  A sample is posted below:

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding Bill C-32, our government’s proposal to update the Copyright Act.

Read more ›

June 11, 2010 25 comments News

Reynolds on the C-32 Balance

Dalhousie law professor Graham Reynolds published an op-ed in the Mark News, in which he argues that the claims of balance are more marketing than reality owing to the digital lock provisions.

Read more ›

June 11, 2010 1 comment News

Setting the Record Straight: 32 Questions and Answers on C-32’s Digital Lock Provisions, Part Three

The first two posts on the 32 Questions and Answers on Bill C-32's digital lock provisions focused first on general issues in the bill and second on C-32's circumvention exceptions.  Today's post discusses the missing exceptions – circumvention exceptions found in other countries but missing from the Canadian bill. For those that want it all in a single package, I've posted the full series as PDF download.

The Missing Exceptions

This section features answers to the following questions:

  • Does C-32 include "authorized circumventers" as is used in New Zealand to facilitate legal circumventions?
  • Are companies required to unlock locked content for legal purposes under C-32?
  • Does C-32 include an exception for non-infringing access, such as accessing DVDs from other regions?
  • Does C-32 include a circumvention exception for personal uses?
  • Does C-32 include a circumvention exception for digital archiving?
  • Does C-32 include a circumvention exception to protect minors?
  • Does C-32 include a circumvention exception for filtering software programs?
  • Does C-32 include an exception for circumventing digital locks that become obsolete or broken?
  • Does C-32 include an exception for court cases, laws, and government documents?
  • Bill C-32's digital lock provisions apply to copyrighted works.  Does that mean that public domain (ie. out-of-copyright) works are not affected?

Read more ›

June 10, 2010 3 comments News