Canadian copyfighting scholar Michael Geist sez, "The Canadian Recording Industry has engaged in some fairly fierce public comments about some of my recent columns talking about vendettas and an attack dog mentality. I thought it was time to defend myself with a response to their public letter. I use the opportunity to trace 25 years of policy pressure from the recording industry and how it has shaped Canadian copyright law (and how it continues – Groundhog Day-like now and for the foreseeable future)."
In 1996, the government introduced legislation to create a private copying system. CRIA responded by celebrating 15 years of lobbying efforts. However, Robertson lamented that "I think the lack of it over the past 10 years has literally killed dozens of (music) careers. I think this is going to make a huge difference for artists, in terms of letting them make one more album or do one more tour that will give them the ability to prolong and develop their careers."
If all of this sounds vaguely familiar, it is because Canadians have been living in a CRIA-led Groundhog Day ever since. While the industry got private copying, neighbouring rights, rental rights, and statutory damages, it now says it didn't get enough. For the past seven years, we have again heard louder rhetoric about the inadequacies of Canadian copyright law and claims that Canada ranks with the developing world in terms of copyright law, been treated to more Parliament Hill lobby days with Tom Cochrane, as well as seen ever growing claims about the damage of peer-to-peer file sharing on the industry (something even the OECD now disputes).
(Thanks, Michael!)
