| According to C-Net
News, it appears certain
members of the music industry
have been experimenting with a
copy protection scheme created to
degrade the quality of copies
from their recordings in response
to the unauthorized peer to peer
distribution of copyrighted
material. It is believed that
some consumers have already been
subjected to this experiment,
having purchased recordings that
cannot be copied, even for
personal use. As a consumer, I
believe this response by the
industry is unacceptable. I believe
that the industry itself
precipitated the unauthorized
distribution of their material by
failing to establish a digital
distribution system to replace
the distribution of domestic
“singles” in many
countries (including Canada) and
the manipulation of recordings to
prevent copying simply disregards
our rights to make personal
copies, given to us by an
amendment to the copyright act in
1998 (Bill
C-32). It also further
reduces the validity of a blank
audio recording levy introduced
in this amendment and removes the
functionality of legal devices
purchased to make authorized
copies.
I believe it is now time for
the industry to invest in
technology and not against it.
This scheme voids progress and
inconveniences the consumer, who
is made responsible for the
actions of a minority. The
Canadian consumer already pays a
levy on blank audio recording
media so I believe it is
reasonable to demand the rights
we've been given by law in
Canada.
Please FAX your (polite)
letters of protest against any
implementation of this copy
protection scheme in Canada to
the Canadian Recording Industry
Association at (416)
967-9415.
---
Update -
Most labels have decided to drop copy protection scemes from their compact discs and
the current paid download services, many of which are listed
on my legal download site listings, are offering MP3s or
are in the process of removing DRM for their downloads.
--
Details
on amendment Bill C-32 - In 1998, the
copyright act was amended with
Bill C-32 to conform to
international treaties on
copyright. This bill authorizes
copies of copyrighted recordings
for personal use and
includes a levy, paid by
manufacturers and importers of
blank audio tape, DATs, mini
discs, CD Audio and CDR/CDRW to a
collective responsible for the
distribution of these levies to
rights agencies, who in turn
distribute the remaining funds to their members
as compensation for lost royalties due to unauthorized
duplication and distribution of their recordings
and compositions.
Links
To Additional Information
Parliament Records -
Bill C-32
The Canadian Private
Copying Collective
The Canadian Recording
Industry Association
The Canadian Coalition
for Fair Digital Access
Information on the Blank
Media Levy
Related Articles
C-Net
News article on Copy Protection
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