Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Canadian Copyright Reform In Force: Expanded User Rights Now the Law

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Yesterday I pointed to a Michael Geist commentary documenting the swing of Canadian copyright law toward a mostly consumer-friendly legal regime. In this post, Geist lists the provisions that come into effect today:

  • addition of education, parody, and satire as fair dealing purposes
  • safe harbour for non-commercial user generated content provision
  • consumer exceptions including time shifting, format shifting, and backup copies
  • cap of $5000 for all non-commercial infringement (applies to educational institutions too)
  • exception for publicly available materials on the Internet for education

Some provisions, such as the notice-and-notice provision (rather than the US-style notice-and-takedown), are yet to come into force. Also, the digital locks provision remains on the books, despite widespread opposition. But all in all, it's still better to be here than there.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 9:05 p.m.

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