Post Tagged with: "canadian heritage"

Box Launch by David Bleasdale (CC BY 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/An28qP

Government Docs Suggest Officials Thinking About Website Blocking, Targeting VPN Usage

The Trudeau government has thus far said very little about its plans for future digital and copyright policy reform. There were few references in its election platform and the ministerial mandate letters that identify immediate policy priorities did not speak to the issue.

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that according to ministerial briefing documents recently released by the government, Canadian Heritage officials have told new minister Mélanie Joly that emerging issues may include targeting the use of virtual private networks and website blocking. The comments can be found in a departmental briefing for Joly on copyright policy, which includes a discussion titled “what’s next” for copyright.

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December 8, 2015 28 comments Columns
failcampmtl 2014 - 142 by Eva Blue (CC BY 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/kpgE4F

What Canadian Heritage Officials Didn’t Tell Minister Mélanie Joly About Copyright

Last week, Canadian Heritage posted the Ministerial briefing book that officials used to bring new minister Mélanie Joly up-to-speed on the issues in her portfolio. The proactive release is a great step toward further transparency. While the mandate letter from the Prime Minister provides insight into government policy priorities, the briefing book sheds light on what department officials view as priorities and how they frame key issues.

The copyright presentation is particularly revealing since it presents Minister Joly with a version of Canadian copyright lacking in balance in which “exceptions are always subject to certain conditions” but references to similar limitations on rights themselves are hard to find.  Department officials present a frightening vision of emerging copyright issues, pointing to mandated Internet provider blocking, targeting copyright infringement that occurs on virtual private networks, and “hybrid” legal/illegal services that may be a reference to Canadians accessing U.S. Netflix. The suggestion that Canadian Heritage officials have identified site blocking or legal prohibitions on VPN or U.S. Netflix usage as emerging copyright issues should set off alarm bells well in advance of the 2017 copyright reform process.

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November 30, 2015 16 comments News
Broadcasting Prohibited by Dave King (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/5ULNra

Sound of Silence: Why the Government’s Copyright Extension for Sound Recordings Will Reduce Access to Canada’s Musical Heritage

The government yesterday tabled its budget implementation bill (Bill C-59), which includes provisions to extend the term of copyright for sound recordings and performances. The extension adds 20 years to the term (to 70 years). It also caps the term at 100 years after the first fixation of the sound recording or performance. The change is not retroactive, so sound recordings currently in the public domain will stay there. The government’s unexpected decision to extend the term of copyright for sound recordings and performances will not only cost consumers by reducing competition and stop cheaper, legal music alternatives from coming to the market – but it will also reduce access to Canada’s music heritage.

This is the inescapable conclusion based on studies elsewhere, which find that longer copyright terms discourage re-issuing older releases, which often means that the musical heritage is lost.  For example, Tim Brooks conducted a detailed study in 2005 on how copyright law affects reissues of historic recordings. He concluded that longer copyright terms significantly reduce public access. First, he examined the data in the United States, which at the time had the longest term of protection:

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May 8, 2015 4 comments News

Canadian Heritage Dropped Plans for Digital Transition Video Contest

Matthew Kupfer reports that Canadian Heritage developed plans for a video contest to increase public awareness of the forthcoming digital television transition. The plans were dropped after fears the contest might be viewed negatively.

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June 6, 2011 Comments are Disabled News

Wikileaks Cable: What Makes for Good Canadian Heritage Minister

A Wikileaks cable discussing the entry of satellite radio into Canada discusses what makes for an effective Canadian Heritage Minister.  According to the cable (which criticizes former Canadian Heritage Minister Liza Frulla), “Canadian Heritage ministers must be strong enough to disappoint that core constituency in order to strike compromises with […]

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April 29, 2011 4 comments News