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Canadian Chamber Of Commerce Welcomes IP Law Change

by Mike Godfrey, for LawAndTax-News.com, Washington

16 June 2008

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the introduction last week of Bill C-61, which amended the country's Copyright Act.

Introducing the legislation on Thursday, Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry announced that:

"Our government has committed to ensuring Canada's copyright law is up to date, and today we are delivering by introducing this "made-in-Canada" bill that balances the interests of Canadians who use digital technology and those who create content."

The proposed amendments contained in the Bill include:

  • New exceptions that will allow Canadian consumers to legally record television shows for later viewing and copy legally acquired music onto other devices, such as iPods or cellphones;
  • New exceptions for some educational and research purposes;
  • New rights and protections for those who create content; and
  • Provisions to address the liability of Internet service providers and the role they should play in curbing copyright-infringing activities on their networks.
  • However, reaction to the new legislation has been mixed, as in addition to the provisions mentioned above, hefty fines are to be imposed for incidents of copyright infrinement.

In addition, opposition politicians have condemned Bill C-61 as "a piece of half-baked legislation", suggesting that the law is unlikely to make it to the statute book in the event of a change of government at the next election.

However, the Chamber of Commerce expressed its whole-hearted support for the planned changes, observing that:

"No industry is immune to the theft of intellectual property. The economic impact of this problem on Canadian companies and the lost tax revenue for the government is significant. The issue of counterfeiting and piracy has become so rampant that it threatens to become an international embarrassment for Canada that could taint our reputation abroad for future investment."

Speaking on Thursday, Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Chamber added that:

"The changes to the Copyright Act the government has announced today to more effectively protect intellectual property are most welcomed by the business community."

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