Frulla on ‘antiquated’ IP laws
p2pnet.net News:- Digital Copyright Canada’s Russell McOrmond has for some considerable time been chasing heritage minister Liza Frulla for clarification of the oft-quoted comment she made when she was an honoured guest at the Big Four record label cartel’s Juno stroke-fest in April.
Frulla, a keen supporter of the labels’ bid to turn Canada into a marketing division, said she’d adjust Canada’s "antiquated" intellectual property laws through proposed new copyright legislation to be tabled this week.
"We’ll also be addressing the peer-to-peer issue,” she promised. "It will give the tools to companies and authors to sue."
Here’s her reply, funneled to McOrmond through Luc Rouleau, the director of the “Ministerial Correspondence Secretariat”
Read on >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dear Mr. McOrmond:
I am writing in response to your correspondence and accompanying documentation to the Honourable Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women, regarding copyright reform. Your correspondence to the Honourable Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, and the Honourable Mauril Bélanger, Minister for Internal Trade, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Minister responsible for Official Languages and Associate Minister of National Defense, on this subject has also been brought to the attention of the Minister.
Ms. Frulla appreciates your advising her of your views and has noted your comments with respect to this matter. I would like to clarify a statement attributed to the Minister to which you refer in your correspondence. What she said, and what remains the case, is that the Government would make sure that the Copyright Act would provide the necessary tools to rights holders to prevent unauthorized file sharing of protected works, whether through P2P software or otherwise. Should this require clarification of the law, the Government is prepared to clarify and even strengthen the law to ensure that the rights are clear to everyone and that remedies are readily available should infringement occur.
There exists a very diverse and divergent range of views concerning copyright. In developing copyright policy, the Government of Canada has to take all views into account, while conforming to international obligations. With respect to the copyright reform process, Canadians have had ample opportunity to make their views known. I understand that you have taken advantage of this opportunity and that your comments have appeared on the Department of Canadian Heritage Web site. Please be assured that departmental officials have taken into consideration your views as well as those of others, including decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, in the development of copyright policy.
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Now we can all rest easy.
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
stroke-fest – New MPAA boss a comedian, p2pnet, June 22, 2004
tabled this week – Canada copyright amendments, p2pnet, June 13, 2005
June 15th, 2005 at 8:35 pm
or in otherwords, thanks for the comments, now bend over.
June 15th, 2005 at 10:00 pm
“while conforming to international obligations”
Yes, but what if the so called “international obligations” run counter to the interest of the Canada?
Clearly the purpose of the copyright law must be clear and if international treaties are incompatible then the treaties must be rescinded for Canada. Otherwise canada is a colony of “international obligations” that Canadians do not control.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com
June 15th, 2005 at 10:15 pm
and by “international obligations” they mean obligations to the USA…. well more precisly to big business (ie. hollywood, music cartel, and BSA members) as no one else will benifit.
June 15th, 2005 at 10:30 pm
What a nice way to say nothing, commit to nothing, and promise nothing. Ever the politican’s way.
June 16th, 2005 at 1:41 am
Canada has quite often promoted US policy proposals within International policy setting organizations such as WIPO. I remember being told by some of the Canadian NGO delegates to the Word Summit on the Information Society http://www.itu.int/wsis/ about how the Canadian government delegation would say one thing when the Canadian NGOs were there, but mirrored the regressive US position otherwise. The Brazilian delegation was very helpful at exposing this.
The “software manufacturing” sub-industry (BSA/CAAST), the major label recording industry (RIAA/CRIA), and Hollywood (MPAA/CMPDA) don’t actually write or pass laws — our governments do. We need to remember who to blame when things go wrong: the special economic interests are doing what is expected of them, and it is our government representatives that are doing the wrong thing.
Politicians need to stop misdirecting responsibility for their actions. Canada signed these treaties based on the wishes of Canadian politicians, and if they didn’t like them then they would not have been signed.
June 17th, 2005 at 11:55 am
What about the media taxes on tapes, CDs DATs etc?
Will they repeal these taxes if they give the “right to sue”???
Useless Liberal commie pinko scum politicians. The voters get what they deserve in Canada.
June 17th, 2005 at 8:55 pm
all your politicians belong to us!