Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP

Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP

Copyright

The Value of the Fair Use Industries

Lots of attention being paid to a new study commissioned by the CCIA on the economic value of fair use in the United States.  Using WIPO's own guidelines, the study concludes that the "fair use industries", including consumer electronics, education institutions, software, and ISPs, generate $4.5 trillion in revenue, far […]

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September 13, 2007 Comments are Disabled News

Copyright Board On Municipal Architecture Plans

Howard Knopf accurately predicted this change in Copyright Board policy – the Board will no longer issue licenses for architectural plans held in municipal archives because it does not believe licenses are needed.

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September 11, 2007 Comments are Disabled News

“We Don’t Have Any Choice”

Last week, the Vancouver Sun ran a lengthy article on the music industry.  It was a reasonable piece – comments from CRIA, CIRPA, and many artists presented some (though not all) perspectives.  That said, CRIA's Graham Henderson provided comments that merit a response.  According to Henderson:

We want laws that offer choice. Right now we don't have any choice and we want the ability to be able to try our business model in a digital environment and have at least the majority of people respect our wishes, recognizing all along that there are going to be people who take from us.

Leaving aside the fact that much of the copying that Henderson characterizes as "taking from us" is covered by the private copying levy that has now generated nearly $200 million since the CPCC began collecting the levy in 2000, CRIA is effectively saying that the only way the industry can offer digital music online is with DRM supported by anti-circumvention legislation.  Anyone with even the slightest familiarity with digital music in Canada recognizes that this is utter nonsense.

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September 5, 2007 5 comments News

The Rick Rubin Article

Many people have pointed to the NY Times article on Rick Rubin on the weekend – it is well worth a read, particularly the comments on the effect of the Sony rootkit debacle on established artists like Neil Diamond.

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September 5, 2007 Comments are Disabled News

Unlocking the Mysteries of Locked Cellphones

Appeared in the Toronto Star on September 3, 2007 as Unlocking the Mystery of Locked Phones From the moment of its debut, the Apple iPhone has attracted enormous attention. Its biggest impact may go beyond the consumer electronics market, however, as the iPhone has forced politicians and regulators to confront […]

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September 3, 2007 8 comments Columns Archive