|
There have been some tremendous turns of events in the world of Canadian copyright during the past couple of weeks. 10 days ago we were expecting the introduction of imbalanced copyright legislation rumoured as drafted to appease the American ambassador. Since I was in Puerto Rico teaching my Digital Music course, there was little I could do at that point. So I went offline and onto the beach to unwind for a few days. When I reconnected on Tuesday, I thought for sure the pina coladas had clouded my vision, but nope, it was true: the Conservatives had a change of heart and decided not to table the controversial bill. The next night reforms were apparently on again, but by last Thursday morning it was clear we weren't going to see legislation introduced until the new year. My colleague Michael Geist's facebook group is the best source for analysis of what happened and why.
As we approach the end of 2007 and the start of '08, I thought it would
be worthwhile to reflect on the future of Canadian copyright reform.
So, in postings between now and the new year I'll elaborate on the
following five resolutions that I'm recommending the Government of
Canada adopt in 2008. Here's a preview of my list of suggested
copyright resolutions for the new year:
1. Listen more. The Government must
meaningfully consult Canadians about what we need from copyright
reform. I've got some suggestions for how to do so.
2. Lose weight. The Copyright Act is already
too fat. Follow my light and simple recipes for a healthy law that will
survive well into the future.
3. Keep promises. And I mean to the
electorate, not the ambassador. Repeal or reform the private copying
levy and replace it with a fair use regime for consumers.
4. Boost business. Paracopyrights prop up
antiquated monopolies and risk stifling innovation. Avoid
anti-circumvention laws, thus supporting Canadian creators and
entrepreneurs.
5. Show leadership. Don't be bullied into bad policies. Lead by example with legislative models that other countries could be proud to emulate.,
Those resolutions may sound ambitious, but really they're not too tough
to implement. I'll explain exactly how and why in the coming weeks.
|
