Angus: 3-Step Approach Needed

ANGUS: 3-STEP APPROACH NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION
NDP MP outlines strategy to benefit Canada’s artists and industry

NDP Digital Cultural Spokesman Charlie Angus has challenged Industry Minister Jim Prentice to start moving on copyright reform that will work for the benefit of Canadian artists and consumers. Prentice, like his predecessor, had a number of embarrassing starts and stops with this contentious issue.

Angus says Prentice can follow three straight-forward steps to update Canada’s copyright legislation:

1. Live up to the government’s commitment to bring the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaty to the House of Commons for a vote before introducing new legislation;

2. Ensure adequate consultation prior to introducing news legislation between Parliamentarians with affected stakeholder groups including arts/artist groups, educators, software innovators, consumer groups and everyday Canadians;

3. Ensure new legislation addresses the reality of technological innovation so that artistic creators can be fairly compensated in a rapidly changing paradigm of information transmission and storage.

It isn’t good enough for this government to simply mimic the failed Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) model in the United States. The Conservatives need to address the dramatic changes that are taking place in the world of digital content. Artists need to be able to share in the potential of markets that are still gray or forming.

As for WIPO, Prentice appears to be stalling on the government commitment to debate treaties before ratifying them. Angus says Prentice can’t unilaterally break a government commitment.

Let’s deal with WIPO and then examine how forward-looking legislation can be enacted. If Prentice tries to get away with a quick fix, U.S.-style, DMCA plan under the guise of implementing WIPO, he is going to get his fingers burned again.

As an author, singer/songwriter and performer Angus is keenly aware of the hardships that most artists face, and wants to see legislation that will work in the new world of digital change and benefit those in the industry.