Sam Trowsaw: Government Tables Flawed Copyright Bill

Sam Trowsaw: Government Tables Flawed Copyright Bill

Yesterday the federal government tabled Bill-61, an Act to Amend the Copyright Act (contents, full text html, full text pdf, “fact sheets”).

The pdf version is over 50 pages and like many other analysists, commentators and bloggers, I am working diligently to try to digest and unravel the full meaning of this exceptionally complex document.

Like many of the other initial reactions from organizations and commentators who generally take a public interests approach to copyright (Canadian Library Association, Canadian Association of University Teachers, Digital Copyright Canada, Copyright Watch, Canadian internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, Appropriation Art, Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian Music Creators Coalition, Laura Murray, and Michael Geist) my initial reaction to the bill is one of disappointment, frustration and opposition. On a first quick cursory reading, it becomes evident that this is a complicated piece of special interest legislation that cuts short many of the rights that the public already enjoys under the existing Copyright Act as it has been interpreted by the courts.