New Canadian Copyright Legislation

Please pardon the cross-posting:

Canada's copyright revision legislation, Bill C-32, has now be been passed without any changes, due probably in no small part to the "Deus ex machina" intervention of a Federal Election. Virtually all of it (except for some retrospective provisions regarding book importation) remains unproclaimed and therefore not yet in force -- and there will undoubtedly be some lobbying and discussion about when, how and by what increments proclamation takes place.

I am advised that the official citation is "An Act to amend the Copyright Act, chapter 24 of the Statutes of Canada, 1997".

My own commentary in the Financial Post (intended to be objective), dated March 29, 1997 can be found at:

   http://www.canoe.ca/FPColumns/knopf.html

Although this article predates passage of the Act, which took place on April 25, 1997, there were no changes in the legislation the interim.

The provisions on neighbouring rights and home taping have resulted in Canada making the US Trade Representative "extremely concerned" and reportedly putting Canada on the most recent U.S. s. 301 "watch list". More to follow.

Other links can be found at our Website:

   http://www.perlaw.ca/revis1.htm

-- 
Howard Knopf
Perley-Robertson, Panet, Hill & McDougall
90 Sparks St.
Ottawa, Canada
Phone: 613-566-2820 or
       1-800-2-OTTAWA

E-Mail: knopfh[_at_]perlaw.ca
WebSite: http://www.perlaw.ca