WASHINGTON – The United States government is using its pressure in an attempt to force Canadian government to align its copyright laws to better suit US interests.
The US Trade Representative released the Special 301 Report which places Canada on it’s Watch List for copyright infringing countries.
The Special Report demands that Canada “ratify and implement” the WIPO Internet Treaties and “reform its copyright law so that it provides adequate and effective protection of copyrighted works in the digital environment.”
“The Canadian court decision finding that making files available for copying on a peer-to-peer file sharing service cannot give rise to liability for infringement under existing Canadian copyright law underscores the need for Canada to join nearly all other developed countries in implementing the WIPO Internet Treaties,” the Special Report states.
“The United States urges Canada to adopt legislation that is consistent with the WIPO Internet Treaties and is in line with the international standards of most developed countries. Specifically, we encourage Canada to join the strong international consensus by adopting copyright legislation that provides comprehensive protection to copyrighted works in the digital environment, by outlawing trafficking in devices to circumvent technological protection measures, and by establishing a “notice-and-takedown” system to encourage cooperation by ISPs in combating online infringements.”
Canadian heritage minister Liza Frulla has recently proposed changes to Canadian copyright law that would allow US companies to sue Canadian Citizens.
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