Canadian Copyright Reform Bill Introduced
As an update to my posting of 19 September 2011, the Canadian government introduced on 29 September 2011, Bill C-11, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act. This bill is identical to Bill C-32 which was introduced in June 2010. Bill C-32 died in March 2011 when the Canadian government fell in a vote of no confidence. This is the 4th attempt at amending the 1924 Canadian Copyright Act in order to address newer ways in which we all create, distribute and use copyright-protected works, and in order for Canada to be able to join the two digital WIPO treaties. There are some indications that the bill could be fast tracked and passed by the end of 2011.
I have mixed feelings about that: the new bill is far better than the first proposals, but still has some distinct problems. Looks like it’s time for a new submission… My old one is at http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2009/08/my-canadian-copyright-consulta.html
–dave
I hope you won’t think that I am putting too fine a point on the matter if I point out that Bill C-32 (and everything else on the Order Paper) did not die from the vote of non-confidence but from the dissolution of Parliament and the consequent proroguing of the session. Proroguing always terminates everything on the Order Paper of each House. Neither dissolution nor a vote of no confidence are required to terminate the legislative process. The main difference between prorogation of a session of Parliament without dissolution of that Parliament and actual dissolution is that in the latter situation, if a bill is re-introduced in an identical form, as for example the current C-11 and the previous C-32, the sponsor can ask that the legislative process take up where it left off. That somewhat new innovation is not allowed in a new Parliament, presumably because it is a new Parliament and many of the MPs are new and did not take part in the earlier proceedings.
A much more legible version of Bill C-11 ( http://canadacopyrightlaw.com/doc/bill_c-11 ) and the version of the Copyright Act with the proposed amendments consolidated (http://canadacopyrightlaw.com/doc/canadacopyrightact_consolidated_with_bill_c-11 ).
A much more legible version of Bill C-11 ( http://canadacopyrightlaw.com/doc/bill_c-11 ) and the version of the Copyright Act with the proposed amendments consolidated (http://canadacopyrightlaw.com/doc/canadacopyrightact_consolidated_with_bill_c-11 ).