There are rumours that a new copyright bill is imminent. Copyright issues are increasingly gaining public prominence and there are views of every stripe.
See below for a distinct view by Barry Sookman, copyright expert and co-chair of the Technology Group at McCarthy Tétrault, on the copyright debate as we await the new legislation and continue discussing the issues.
"Copyright reform in Canada has long been the subject of lively and ongoing debate. Michael Geist, professor of law at the University of Ottawa, has written a series of editorials and blog posts criticizing the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and claiming that the new Canadian copyright legislation will likely be modeled after it. He also established a group on Facebook, Fair Copyright for Canada, which quickly amassed over 12,000 members. When a copyright bill was not tabled by the federal government in December as had been expected, it was suggested that the bill was delayed due to a groundswell of opposition, much of it stemming from Prof. Geist’s efforts.
Barry Sookman responds to Prof. Geist by discussing the impact of the DMCA, the level of adoption of WIPO treaties in other countries, the level of consultation about copyright reform, the impact of P2P file sharing on rights holders, and the process to effect legislative change."
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