Comment 40636

By Bob Innes (anonymous) | Posted May 13, 2010 at 01:22:21

I just listened to a podcast interview with Howard Knopf who described how Canadian copyright is actually stronger that American, contrary to what lobbyists are telling everyone. So why worry about adopting US thinking? Canadian schools but not American pay copyright for your kids to read books, see movies, etc. Proliferation of copyright fee harvesters in Canada. Excessive copyright lifespan which usually only benefits corporations instead of the artist. Small businesses in US are exempt. Parody is not allowed. Canadian laws are so tight that technology in delayed getting here. In fact, some examples seemed rather anal, although I'm sure there are lofty sounding reasons and maybe a bit of reality in our smaller market. Apparently all this fee grabbing yields very little actual benefit for the artist, which is the original intent, no?

I'm not sure if the podcast is on CBC or TVO but here is a link to the original blog.

http://excesscopyright.blogspot.com/2010/02/annual-301-parade-ustr-calls-for.html

This article wants me to write all and sundry and sort of assumes I already know what is at stake - just seems to be anti American screed. I guess the main issue is allowing some kind of fair use. I've heard a lot of arguments over the years as to why the music industry paranoia is misplaced, that allowing kids to copy songs or games actually improves artists' overall prospects, but who am I to say?

The one thing I'm fairly clear on is that we must defend so called net neutrality and openness in general.

Can somebody chime in here and tell us what its all about.

Thanks

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