Canadian Copyright Bill Delayed

Canadian tech-enthusiasts cringed in unison this past week as a fresh DMCA bill was set to be passed this week. If passed, it would mimic the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which could result in stricter laws and harsher penalties. Up until now, Canadians have not had deal with issues to the degree Americans have. Although the Canadian music industry has successfully aided in the shutting down of torrent websites, they haven’t yet been able to target end-users, as the RIAA have.

While the bill should have been passed today, it’s been delayed thanks to the overwhelming public outcry from people who signed petitions, called or sent letters to Industry Minister Jim Prentice and showed up in person to protest. It goes to show… you can make a difference. How long this delay will last, no one knows. If not decided before the end of the week, it will not occur until the new year.

At an open house in his Calgary constituency office on Saturday, Prentice defended the bill to an angry crowd of about 50 by saying it would bring Canada up to date with the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty it signed in 1997. Canada signed the treaty but has not yet implemented or ratified it, which has provoked criticism from its trading partners, he said.

Source: CBC.ca