Campion-Smith reports, “The Conservative today unveiled long-awaited changes to the Copyright Act, a bid to bring the law into the digital age… There’s been broad acknowledgement that the current law has outpaced by technology. For example, existing copyright legislation does not allow people to copy music onto devices such as computers or MP3 players like an iPod.”
“Industry Minister Jim Prentice and his officials have been working on the first major overhaul of the legislation in a decade — since then, the Internet has blossomed, along with digital technology that has allowed consumers to easily swap music files, photos and video,” Campion-Smith reports.
Under the reforms:
– you could copy a book, newspaper or photograph that you “legally acquired.” But you couldn’t give away the copies. And you can’t make copies of materials you have borrowed.
– you could copy music that you have “legally acquired” on to devices you own. However, you could not copy music you have borrowed or rented. Nor could you give away copies.
– it would be illegal to post a copyright work — picture, song, film — on the Internet without the permission of the copyright owner.
– it would also be illegal to “hack” the digital locks placed on material to prevent their illegal distribution.
– Internet service providers would be compelled to notify subscribers accused of infringing copyright laws by uploading copyright works to the Internet.
More in the full article here.