Canadian Copyright Future
Vancouver: 20 July 2009
The Canadian federal government Copyright Consultation is soliciting feedback from citizens on copyright legislation. The questions being asked are:
- How do Canada’s copyright laws affect you? How should existing laws be modernized? Based on Canadian values and interests, how should copyright changes be made in order to withstand the test of time?
- What sorts of copyright changes do you believe would best foster innovation and creativity in Canada?
- What sorts of copyright changes do you believe would best foster competition and investment in Canada?
- What kinds of changes would best position Canada as a leader in the global, digital economy?
The consultation is attracting a high degree of participation in online submissions, online comments and full participation at town hall meetings being held across Canada.
Sample of responses on crown copyright issues are (access all online comments)
- “Don't forget about Crown Copyright. Why are we paying twice for information that the government produces. The government does a lot of research and collects a lot of (non-private) data that could be of use to researchers in university and the general public. The elimination of crown copyright would increase public accountability and government transparency.”
- “I have to agree whole-heartedly about the Crown Copyright. I feel embarrassed that the US is releasing information in a free (libre) format, but Canada is not. Everything the government produces should be licensed under something similar to the Creative Commons Share-Alike Attribution license allowing both personal and commercial use. We are all paying for these 'works' (for lack of a better word) and we should all be able to use them as we see fit.”
The Government of Canada press release states:
“…The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today launched nationwide consultations to solicit Canadians' opinions on the important issue of copyright.
“Canadians are concerned with copyright and its implications in our increasingly digital environment. 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,” said Minister Clement. “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.”
“We all know that new technologies are changing the landscape and that Canadian copyright laws need to be updated,” said Minister Moore. “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.”
The consultations will run until September 13, 2009, and will include a number of different avenues for Canadians to participate, including an online discussion forum as well as a submission centre for posting detailed submissions.
A number of round tables have also been planned across Canada to canvass the views of experts and organizations on the kinds of amendments needed to position Canada as a world leader in the digital economy.
Two town hall meetings will also be webcast on the consultation site, allowing Canadians in all parts of the country to participate in the conversation via the Internet.
In today's digital environment, Canadian copyright laws need to be updated to foster innovation and economic growth, and give Canadian creators and consumers the tools they need to keep Canada competitive internationally.
Visit www.copyrightconsultation.ca to find out how you can engage in the consultations.
The online consultations will end on September 13, 2009.”
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