Our Canadian government announced today its long-awaited Bill C-61 ensuring Canada’s copyright law is up-to-date and introducing the "made-in-Canada" bill that balances the interests of Canadians who use digital technology and those who create content.
This enactment amends the Copyright Act in order to:
- update the rights and protections of copyright owners to better address the Internet, in line with international standards;
- clarify the liability of Internet service providers;
- permit certain uses for educational and research purposes of Internet and other digital technologies to facilitate technology-enhanced learning, inter-library loans, the delivery of educational material and access to publicly available material on the Internet;
- permit certain uses of copyright material for private purposes; and
- amend provisions of the Act relating to photographs to give photographers the same rights as other creators.
The Toronto Star summed up these reforms as follow:
- you could copy a book, newspaper or photograph that you "legally acquired." But you couldn’t give away the copies. And you can’t make copies of materials you have borrowed.
- you could copy music that you have "legally acquired" on to devices you own. However, you could not copy music you have borrowed or rented. Nor could you give away copies.
- it would be illegal to post a copyright work — picture, song, film — on the Internet without the permission of the copyright owner.
- it would also be illegal to "hack" the digital locks placed on material to prevent their illegal distribution.
- Internet service providers would be compelled to notify subscribers accused of infringing copyright laws by uploading copyright works to the Internet.
Read more about this topic at Canada.com and the Toronto Star.
Follow Rommel C. Caibal on Twitter.
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on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 12:32 am and is filed under Announcements.
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