Canadian Library Association Speaks Out About Copyright

The Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques today held a press conference on Parliament Hill to outline the concerns of of over 21 million library users and member of the library community about pending copyright legislation.

The concerns include:

• Any new copyright legislation must be carefully crafted so that it punishes copyright-infringing behaviour but does not ban devices that might be used to circumvent technological prevention measures.
• The Government needs to recognize that government documents and government data belong to all Canadians and that all Canadians should have liberal access to these materials.
• Persons with perceptual disabilities must have the same right to access copyrighted materials as all Canadians have. This right should apply regardless of format in order to accommodate their particular needs. Legislation is required to give persons with perceptual disabilities access equity with others.
• Libraries oppose legislation that makes the same mistakes as the American Digital Millennium Copyright Act. American law makes no differentiation in penalty between a counterfeiter circumventing technical protection measures for illegal profit and an individual circumventing technical protection measures to make a single copy.

More information can be found in:

• Press Release: 21 Million Users Concerned About Copyright
• Article from the Canadian Press: Libraries urge government to provide balance in changes to Copyright Act
• Article from The Globe and Mail: Ottawa accused of caving in to Hollywood on copyright (added 12/22)
• Article from the Ottawa Citizen: Proposed levies for iPods, memory cards unfair: libraries (added 12/22)
• Michael Geist on CBC’s The Hour
• Letter from CLA to Ministers Verner (Canadian Heritage) and Prentice (Industry)
• Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook Group