Copyright Online
Responding to Change
The rapid spread of electronic communications and commerce has introduced complications to the scope and enforcement of copyright.
As in other nations, Canada's government has come under pressure "to fortify copyright owners' rights" (Murray & Trosow, 2007, p. 4). Following two phases of amendments to the Copyright Act, concluding in 1998, the law was again put under scrutiny in order to gauge its applicability in digital contexts (Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage, 2004, p. 1). In 2004, a report was issued by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage that outlined recommended reforms to the Copyright Act, including making Internet service providers responsible for taking down content reported to infringe copyright (Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage, 2004, p. 11).
Introduced in 2005, Bill C-60 was expected to address some of the concerns raised by the so-called "Bulte Report," nicknamed after then-chair Sarmite Bulte. However, political events disturbed this plan. When Stephen Harper's minority government took over in 2005, the bill died (Murray & Trosow, 2007, p. 4). Important changes to the current copyright legislation are expected imminently, and a number of forums for discussion on copyright reform have sprung up across Canada.
Reflecting the inventive collaboration of Internet communities, some alternatives to traditional copyright are meeting with some success. The Creative Commons phenomenon is one such experiment.
Reverberating Effects
Most discussions of digital copyright pay little, if any, attention to Aboriginal concerns. This may be due to the fact that Indigenous groups in Canada are well-documented as having a lower quality of life than the general population (Statistics Canada, 2008). With less income, lower literacy, greater unemployment, and inconsistent access to technology (Statistics Canada, 2008), Aboriginal peoples might seem unlikely participants in this debate. However, as we shall see, Indigenous interests in copyright exceed normal boundaries in a number of ways.
The rapid spread of electronic communications and commerce has introduced complications to the scope and enforcement of copyright.
As in other nations, Canada's government has come under pressure "to fortify copyright owners' rights" (Murray & Trosow, 2007, p. 4). Following two phases of amendments to the Copyright Act, concluding in 1998, the law was again put under scrutiny in order to gauge its applicability in digital contexts (Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage, 2004, p. 1). In 2004, a report was issued by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage that outlined recommended reforms to the Copyright Act, including making Internet service providers responsible for taking down content reported to infringe copyright (Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage, 2004, p. 11).
Introduced in 2005, Bill C-60 was expected to address some of the concerns raised by the so-called "Bulte Report," nicknamed after then-chair Sarmite Bulte. However, political events disturbed this plan. When Stephen Harper's minority government took over in 2005, the bill died (Murray & Trosow, 2007, p. 4). Important changes to the current copyright legislation are expected imminently, and a number of forums for discussion on copyright reform have sprung up across Canada.
Reflecting the inventive collaboration of Internet communities, some alternatives to traditional copyright are meeting with some success. The Creative Commons phenomenon is one such experiment.
Reverberating Effects
Most discussions of digital copyright pay little, if any, attention to Aboriginal concerns. This may be due to the fact that Indigenous groups in Canada are well-documented as having a lower quality of life than the general population (Statistics Canada, 2008). With less income, lower literacy, greater unemployment, and inconsistent access to technology (Statistics Canada, 2008), Aboriginal peoples might seem unlikely participants in this debate. However, as we shall see, Indigenous interests in copyright exceed normal boundaries in a number of ways.