The agenda for the ninth round of ACTA talks scheduled for Lucerne, Switzerland from June 28 – July 1st. All the major issues – civil enforcement, criminal provisions, Internet issues, and border measures – are on the agenda. The agenda includes two elements that suggest considerable progress has been made. […]

Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP
Copyright
House of Commons Breaks for the Summer, No C-32 Committee Until Fall
With news that the House of Commons has taken a break for the summer, there will be no legislative committee examining Bill C-32 until the fall.
The Bloc on C-32: Only Consumers Suffer Frustration From Digital Locks
After a post on the Bloc's position on three strikes, I was contacted by Bloc Heritage critic MP Carole Lavallée, who wanted to clarify her position on the government's copyright bill. She provided a detailed response that argues that three strikes is worth considering and expressess doubt about the value of placing digital locks at the foundation of the new copyright bill. Lavallée notes that digital locks do little for creators and create considerable harm and frustration for consumers. She adds that WIPO is an obsolete approach, advocating instead for the introduction of a levy system.
It should be noted that this suggests that all three opposition parties have now expressed concern with C-32's digital lock provisions. The NDP have been outspoken in their opposition and Liberal critic Marc Garneau has indicated that the bill is missing an exception to allow consumers to break locks for private, non-commercial purposes. With the Bloc now stating that locks are not a solution, the minority Conservatives will need to find a compromise in order to pass the bill.
Her full response – posted with permission – is below:
Copyright Bill Shortchanges Consumers
The Edmonton Journal runs an op-ed on the negative implications of the digital lock provisions in C-32 for Canadian consumers.
Canadian Consumer Groups Respond To Moore on C-32
The Canadian Consumer Initiative, which represents major consumer organizations from across Canada including the Consumers Council of Canada, Option consommateurs, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Union des consommateurs, has written to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore to respond to his comment in the House of Commons asserting that the Chamber of Commerce acts in the best interests of consumers. The letter notes that the Chamber in no way represents consumer interests and that the CCI is united opposing the digital lock provisions found in C-32. Full text of the letter below: