Digital Copyright Reform in Canada

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Digital Copyright Reform in Canada

***THIS SECTION OF THE CILP WEBSITE IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION***

Copyright has recently come to the forefront of much cultural and political discussion. This is in part due to the adoption of the WIPO Treaties and the legislative reform that is expected in order for Canada to comply with these treaties. However, there is no doubt that the proliferation of digital technology and the Internet, the rise of Web 2.0 technologies, and significant shifts in the way the average individual consumes and produces cultural products have all contributed to bring copyright into the public arena. Such advances have enabled near-perfect copies be made and disseminated easily and cheaply, but have also allowed rights holders to control and track such activities more easily. The stakes have become significantly higher for average citizens, both as consumers and producers. You may have found someone ripped a photograph from your blog and posted it elsewhere without permission, and wonder if you have any remedy against them. You may wonder why you are unable to copy your CD to your iTunes due to Technological Protection Measures (TPM). You may wonder if your participation on file-sharing or torrent sites is illegal. Each of these questions implicates copyright law and are implicitly related to shifts in cultural and online practice.

The federal government has recognized that Canada's copyright laws are becoming increasingly outdated in light of changes in technology and the accompany shifts in cultural practice. As a result, many believe that copyright legislation should be amended to allow for clear and cogent rules regarding how copyrighted material can be used and protected in the digital environment, and how to maintain an appropriate balance between users and creators of works.

Canada's copyright reform process has been a long and protracted one, evidenced by the fact that we are now facing our second attempt in the last decade to amend the current Copyright Act. Moreover, copyright in the digital era affects the average citizen far more than when it was primarily aimed at mass commercial infringement or piracy, leading to a discursive explosion over how copyright should be addressed on all sides of the debate: artists, the culture industries, educators, software companies, internet service providers, and citizens/consumers. The key issues and debates that surround digital copyright and copyright reform, however, are muddled with misconceptions, misinformation, and rhetoric. Furthermore, copyright itself is governed by legislation that is complex and often confusing. The Centre for Innovation Law and Policy has created this site in order to provide a centralized public resource for anyone seeking to educate themselves about digital copyright, the copyright reform process, the role of the public interest in the copyright balance debate, and the positions of the numerous stakeholders on each of these issues.

Please use the navigation menu on the left (or the links at the bottom of this page) to work your way through the site.

DISCLAIMER: The CILP does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the content linked to from this site. This site is intended only to be a centralized resource for digital copyright and copyright reform issues, and the articles or websites linked to do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or opinions held by the CILP.

If you wish to contact someone at the CILP about this website, please email Andrea Slane.