Attention All Canadians

New copyright legislation was tabled on
June 12th, 2008 in the Canadian parliament.

In order to conform to several international WIPO treaty the Canadian government had signed in 1996 and 1997, our government proposes several amendments to our copyright act with Bill C-61 and it is important that you make yourself heard on several key issues these were created to address :

  • Music Uploads & Downloads - Downloads were deemed legal by our courts but the industry wants tighter controls. Should downloads be illegal ? Should uploads continue to be illegal ?
  • Copy Protection on CDs/DVDs - Should bypassing these protections to make private copies of CDs and backups of DVDs be illegal ?
  • Missing Provisions - How are "parody" or "fair use" addressed by these amendments ?

    • I will be updating this page as more information is made available but you can discuss this subject on a special Facebook group created for Canadian copyright issues, entitled Fair Copyright For Canadians, by clicking here. And you can also send your comments to your local MP and the following :

    The Hon. Josée Verner
    House of Commons
    Parliament Buildings
    Ottawa, Ontario
    K1A 0A6

    Click Here To Send Email    		 The Hon. Jim Prentice
    House of Commons
    Parliament Buildings
    Ottawa, Ontario
    K1A 0A6

    Click Here To Send Email
    Click Here To Search For Your Local MP By Postal Code
    Update : The tabling of the amendments, which were scheduled to be tabled on December 11th (2007), has been delayed again until the new year according to Michael Geist's Blog. Please contact Jim Prentice, the Minister of Industry, to voice your concerns about these amendments. Thank you.
    Update : The Federal Court Of Appeals sided with the Retail Council Of Canada, overturning the Copyright Board's decision to charge a levy on iPods/Media Players. Click here for the January 10th, 2008 Press release at Newswire or Click here for The Federal Court of Appeal decision.
    Update : The National Post reports the bill may be introduced in June, as early as the 3rd. They mention that a $500 fine for infractions may be included in the bill, the list of infractions possibly including transfers from protected content to portable devices like Mp3 Player and iPods. ("Tories eye $500 fine for illegal downloads" - National Post / June 2nd, 2007)
    Update : Several consumer groups have send a letter to Jim Prentice and Josée Verner on June 5th, 2008 in support of the document they published in regards to consumers and this country's copyright issues. Entitled "CANADIAN COPYRIGHT LAW: A Consumer White Paper" this document is accessible by clicking here (PDF). The June 5th letter is available, also in PDF format, by clicking here.
    Important Update : Click Here To Read Bill C-61
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