Copyright legislation is about to hit Ottawa… again. Despite the massive public outcry last time, the government is intent on enacting incredibly restrictive laws that will damage how you use your electronics. Get the facts, contact your MP, and don’t let them.
The Canadian Copyright Act, Part VII, Section 80 (Copying for Private Use) reads: “80. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the act of reproducing all or any substantial part of(a) a musical work embodied in a sound recording,(b) a performer’s performance of a musical work embodied in a sound recording, or(c) a sound recording in which a musical work, or a performer’s performance of a musical work, is embodiedonto an audio recording medium for the private use of the person who makes the copy does not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the musical work, the performer’s performance or the sound recording.”
It’s almost May 28th and iPad finally has its Canadian immigration papers! Apple’s firm control on their message managed to get a chunk of work that I wrote kaiboshed, so rather than let it go to waste, I’m reposting it here with the hopes that it might be useful to some. If it reads like an ad don’t be shocked: it was one.
iPad is here. Continue reading »
With design accents that reference iPhone and iPod Touch, iPad features a 9.7″ capacitive touchscreen. It’s got a wide 178º viewing angle, a brilliant 1024×768 HD display, and a convenient bezel surrounding the screen so you can grip it easily.
If you don’t like the price of an iPhone, don’t buy it. One side-effect of the year-long wait for iPhones in Canada is that other gadgets, such as the much-talked about Samsung Instinct, are providing new competition.
If Rogers finds it has priced itself out of the market, it won’t take a petition to ring in lower prices.
Bingo. If you’ve been thinking about buying a Canadian iPhone, it’s time to reconsider. This simply can’t go on the way it has.
Mr. Prentice spends a great deal of time trying to convince the press that bill C-61 will limit damages to $500 total for a violation of this new act.
What, then, is the point? If a user downloads 20 or 30 films or 10,000 songs that’s $500 spread between the ALL of the artists – not quite worth it, is it?
In relation to digital locks Prentice refused to acknowledge or answer any questions. He did not seem to care that Canadians have paid for material that may be locked and would be prohibited from using that media in any way other than the methods prescribed to users by the media industries.
Josee Verner inspires a complete lack of confidence. When asked about a mashup of music (a teenager – or anyone for that matter – remixing video and music to create something new with existing work – something that is legal right now if attribution is given and the mashup is not created for profit) Josee was unable to either comprehend or answer the question. The answer is that yes, posting a mashup video to YouTube will now be illegal and could run Canadians $500 per offence. Imagine that – post a video to YouTube, get a bill for $500.
Josee went on to talk about respecting digital locks – completely ignoring the fact the government is ignoring that users have PAID FOR the material that is locked.
Jim acknowledges that the industry will indeed be pursuing teenagers for $20,000 per offense. He keeps saying balance – that balance doesn’t exist to my eyes.
