The copyright consultation concluded last fall and it seems worth reminding Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore and Industry Minister Tony Clement what Canadians had to say when they asked for their opinion on copyright reform. It has taken some time to calculate the final numbers as the government conducted a review to ensure that all were properly posted. There were ultimately more than 8,300 submissions – more than any government consultation in recent memory – with the overwhelming majority rejecting Bill C-61 (6138 submissions against, 54 in support), while thousands called for flexible fair dealing and a link between copyright infringement and anti-circumvention rules.
Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP
Copyright
The Economist on Copyright: Shorter Terms, Expanded Fair Use
The Economist has a must-read editorial on copyright, arguing that the law has swung too far toward being restrictive. It argues for shortened copyright terms, renewal requirements, and expanded fair use.
Analysis of ACTA Under Australian Law
Kimberlee Weatherall has posted an exceptional detailed analysis of the proposed ACTA provisions on Australian law.
The Truth About ACTA
Earlier this week, I spoke at a hearing on ACTA at the European Parliament. Media coverage of the talk is available here. The slides are posted below with full audio and video to come shortly.
Kevin Kelly on Movie Producers Thriving Among Pirates
Kevin Kelly has an interesting post on the movie businesses in India, Nigeria, and China. The world's three biggest movie producing countries thrive with business models that have adapted to the possibility of little copyright enforcement.
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 237: A Conversation with Jason Woywada of BCFIPA on Political Party Privacy and Bill C-4 
Lawful Access on Steroids: Why Bill C-2’s Big Brother Tactics Combine Expansive Warrantless Disclosure with Unprecedented Secrecy 
Government Reverses on Privacy and the Charter: Department of Justice Analysis Concludes Political Party Privacy Bill Raises No Charter of Rights Effects 
“Big Brother Tactics”: Why Bill C-2’s New Warrantless Disclosure Demand Powers Extend Far Beyond Internet and Telecom Providers 
Government Seeks To Exempt Political Parties From Privacy Laws Even As CRTC Reports They Are Leading Source of Spam Complaints
