Canadian Government Launches Copyright Consultation

VANCOUVER: The Canadian government has embarked on a nationwide consultation on attitudes towards copyright protection in the digital world.

Unveiled by Tony Clement, the Minister of Industry, and the James Moore, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the nationwide consultation runs through September 13. It encompasses an online discussion forum and submission centre, round tables to canvass the views of experts and organizations and two town hall meetings. The consultations seek to address how Canadian copyright laws should be updated to drive economic growth and keep Canadian content competitive on a global scale.

"Canadians are concerned with copyright and its implications in our increasingly digital environment," said Minister Clement. "Our goal is to give Canadians from across the country a chance to express their views on how the government should approach the modernization of copyright laws. Your opinions and suggestions will help us draft new, flexible legislation so that Canada can regain its place on the cutting edge of the digital economy."

Minister Moore added: "We all know that new technologies are changing the landscape and that Canadian copyright laws need to be updated. By leveraging new technologies, we are providing as many people as possible with access to our consultative process through interactive, web-based and real-time discussions. With today’s launch, we are on track to introducing modern and responsive copyright legislation in the fall."

Canada’s actors organization ACTRA welcomed the government’s announcement. "It’s encouraging to see the current government embark on public consultations on copyright," said ACTRA’s national president, Ferne Downe. "If the traffic on Facebook and Twitter is any indication, there are a lot of engaged citizens of all ages eager to talk about copyright reform in Canada—a fantastic trend considering we are talking about copyright law. ACTRA looks forward to appearing at the government’s roundtables to advocate on behalf of Canadian performers."

"ACTRA is working for copyright reform in Canada and internationally because our copyright system needs to balance the interests of consumers with the need to respect the property and remuneration rights of Canadian creators and makers in their work." added Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s national executive director. "Canada needs fair copyright laws that ensure creators have control and are compensated for our work. Our new copyright act should make sure artists’ rights are not just protected, but strengthened."