Glockstar
02-22-2007, 08:18 AM
ESA Wants to Blacklist Canada
The country isn't doing enough to protect intellectual property, the industry watchdog says
by Daemon Hatfield
February 14, 2007 - The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) is a coalition of U.S. software, music, and movie producers working to protect the copyrighted materials of its members. Our own industry support group, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), is a member of the IIPA, and is thus part of an effort to convince the U.S. government to add Canada to a blacklist of countries the IIPA believes are soft on copyright infringement.
The IIPA alleges Canada's copyright laws are antiquated and do not provide sufficient protection for intellectual properties in the digital age. It is not illegal to videotape a movie in a theatre in Canada, for instance, and mod chips that allow pirated software to play on a game console are a thriving business in the country.
IGN spoke with Danielle Parr, Executive Director of ESA Canada, who told us her organization has been wrestling with the Canadian government over this issue for the two and a half years it has been in existence. Parr says Canada's previous government, replaced one year ago, was particularly unyielding on the matter, but that current officials have been more open to discussions.
If the Bush administration agrees to blacklist Canada the country will join Russia and China on a list of 'pirates' who might face challenges with the World Trade Organization and possible sanctions. The U.S. placed Canada on a lower-priority watch list three years ago, but the IIPA is recommending the country be moved up to the 'priority watch list.'
"Canada's long tenure on the Watch List has had no discernible effect on Canadian copyright policy," the IIPA argued in its submission to the U.S. government. "Consequently, IIPA believes that [the United States Trade Representative] should elevate Canada to the Priority Watch List as a concrete expression of U.S. disappointment that the Government of Canada has given insufficient priority to this crucial item of unfinished business.
"At a time when every other developed country and major U.S. trading partner has made significant progress toward modernizing copyright legislation to respond to the challenges of an ever changing technological universe, Canada's failure to do so is particularly striking, and should elicit a commensurate reaction from the U.S. government."
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/764/764733p1.html
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Canada on U.S. blacklist over intellectual piracy
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 | 10:38 AM ET
CBC Arts
A powerful coalition of U.S. software, movie and music producers wants the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to put Canada on a blacklist of intellectual property villains.
Canada is one of 16 countries on the "priority watch list" of the International Intellectual Property Alliance.
The IIPA represents such companies as Microsoft, Apple and Paramount Pictures, and makes an annual report to the U.S. Congress on copyright piracy and market access problems around the world.
Canada has failed to deliver on a promised overhaul of copyright laws and a crackdown of piracy offences, the IIPA says.
The lobby group accuses Canada of becoming a leading exporter of bootleg movies and pirated software.
It estimates losses of $551 million US in Canada in 2006 on business software alone.
Russia and China remain at the top of the IIPA's blacklist because of rampant piracy of U.S.-made software, music and films.
Canada joins the likes of Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Israel, Mexico and Turkey on the priority watch list.
"In 2007, IIPA is asking the U.S. government to bring greater pressure to bear and employ new tools to improve enforcement systems in most of the countries on these lists," the IIPA's Eric Smith said in a release.
A copyright act drafted by the previous Liberal administration died without being passed and the Conservative government has yet to put forward a draft of new copyright legislation.
Heritage Minister Bev Oda is being pressured by the entertainment industry and independent artists to update the legislation.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/02/14/copyright-pressure.html
The country isn't doing enough to protect intellectual property, the industry watchdog says
by Daemon Hatfield
February 14, 2007 - The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) is a coalition of U.S. software, music, and movie producers working to protect the copyrighted materials of its members. Our own industry support group, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), is a member of the IIPA, and is thus part of an effort to convince the U.S. government to add Canada to a blacklist of countries the IIPA believes are soft on copyright infringement.
The IIPA alleges Canada's copyright laws are antiquated and do not provide sufficient protection for intellectual properties in the digital age. It is not illegal to videotape a movie in a theatre in Canada, for instance, and mod chips that allow pirated software to play on a game console are a thriving business in the country.
IGN spoke with Danielle Parr, Executive Director of ESA Canada, who told us her organization has been wrestling with the Canadian government over this issue for the two and a half years it has been in existence. Parr says Canada's previous government, replaced one year ago, was particularly unyielding on the matter, but that current officials have been more open to discussions.
If the Bush administration agrees to blacklist Canada the country will join Russia and China on a list of 'pirates' who might face challenges with the World Trade Organization and possible sanctions. The U.S. placed Canada on a lower-priority watch list three years ago, but the IIPA is recommending the country be moved up to the 'priority watch list.'
"Canada's long tenure on the Watch List has had no discernible effect on Canadian copyright policy," the IIPA argued in its submission to the U.S. government. "Consequently, IIPA believes that [the United States Trade Representative] should elevate Canada to the Priority Watch List as a concrete expression of U.S. disappointment that the Government of Canada has given insufficient priority to this crucial item of unfinished business.
"At a time when every other developed country and major U.S. trading partner has made significant progress toward modernizing copyright legislation to respond to the challenges of an ever changing technological universe, Canada's failure to do so is particularly striking, and should elicit a commensurate reaction from the U.S. government."
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/764/764733p1.html
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Canada on U.S. blacklist over intellectual piracy
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 | 10:38 AM ET
CBC Arts
A powerful coalition of U.S. software, movie and music producers wants the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to put Canada on a blacklist of intellectual property villains.
Canada is one of 16 countries on the "priority watch list" of the International Intellectual Property Alliance.
The IIPA represents such companies as Microsoft, Apple and Paramount Pictures, and makes an annual report to the U.S. Congress on copyright piracy and market access problems around the world.
Canada has failed to deliver on a promised overhaul of copyright laws and a crackdown of piracy offences, the IIPA says.
The lobby group accuses Canada of becoming a leading exporter of bootleg movies and pirated software.
It estimates losses of $551 million US in Canada in 2006 on business software alone.
Russia and China remain at the top of the IIPA's blacklist because of rampant piracy of U.S.-made software, music and films.
Canada joins the likes of Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Israel, Mexico and Turkey on the priority watch list.
"In 2007, IIPA is asking the U.S. government to bring greater pressure to bear and employ new tools to improve enforcement systems in most of the countries on these lists," the IIPA's Eric Smith said in a release.
A copyright act drafted by the previous Liberal administration died without being passed and the Conservative government has yet to put forward a draft of new copyright legislation.
Heritage Minister Bev Oda is being pressured by the entertainment industry and independent artists to update the legislation.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/02/14/copyright-pressure.html