General

Copyright bill under review

Proposed legislation imposes fine for breaking encryption on DVDs

Industry Minister Tony Clement may have been exaggerating when he told reporters, “We’ve been trying as a Parliament to get copyright legislation through since ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ was in the Top 10”—the Elton John song was released in 1976—but he does have a point. The copyright law currently up for review hasn’t been altered in a significant way since 1997. That, however, could soon change: the amendments proposed by the Harper government include fine of up to $5,000 for individuals who break the digital encryption on a DVD, but lighten the punishment for those who download or upload copyrighted material (lowering the maximum fine from $20,000 to $5,000).

The Globe and Mail

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