EU Demands Canada Rework Its Copyright, Patent Law 271
An anonymous reader writes "The draft intellectual property text of the EU - Canada Trade Agreement has leaked, with news that the EU is demanding that Canada fundamentally alter copyright, patent, and trademark law. The laundry list of demands includes copyright term extension, WIPO ratification, DMCA-style legislation, resale rights, new enforcement provisions, and following patent, trademark, and design law treaties. The net result is that when combined with the ACTA requirements, Canadian copyright law may cease to be Canadian." Reader TheTurtlesMoves stresses the "first sale doctrine" aspect of the Canada - EU negotiations. Once an artist sells a creative work, should she get a cut of any future resales of that same work? The EU says yes at least for some types of works, and it wants Canada to see things its way. "Europe's Directive 2001/84/EC says that the right covers only 'works of graphic or plastic art such as pictures, collages, paintings, drawings, engravings, prints, lithographs, sculptures, tapestries, ceramics, glassware and photographs, provided they are made by the artist himself or are copies considered to be original works of art.'"
Cue the apologists... (Score:5, Interesting)
Aren't we constantly told that the EU is so much better in regards to patents and copyrights and it's only the big bad US that is constantly trying to push all this stuff on people?
Re:I'm surprised (Score:2, Interesting)
Europe isn't a utopia when it comes to copyrights. Everyone made a big deal about that copyright term extension act that was proposed by Sonny Bono, and while it was a heinous bill at least it didn't revive expired copyrights like the copyright extension legislation in the EU did.
O Canada (Score:5, Interesting)
Please tell the EU to go fuck itself and/or adapt its copyright and patent law to the Canadian model.
And possibly to close Disneyland Paris, stop accepting money from **AA and start developing some common sense.
Crap, I think I overdid it with that last part. They are, after all, politicians. But if they're supposed to represent the European population, let me be the first to say this isn't what all of the population wants.
Sorry, no dice (Score:1, Interesting)
I like you europeans, but no freaking way!
Hey, trade is good, but not when it comes with such sweeping legal changes.
I will let my MP know that agreeing to this treaty is basically letting foreigners decide on our laws.
No amount of trade is worth my rights.
I will stand up and I will say no.
Why not real art? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Cue the apologists... (Score:5, Interesting)
Aren't we constantly told that the EU is so much better in regards to patents and copyrights and it's only the big bad US that is constantly trying to push all this stuff on people?
No, we're not. The EU is the hot spot for three strikes laws. If anything, it's usually shown as an example of a dark possible future for the US.
Disgusting... (Score:5, Interesting)
This type of news is disgusting to me as a Canadian.
Throughout the summer, Canada held an enormous copyright consultation in which large corporations expressed an interest in these types of changes, and artists, creators and citizens expressed an interest in the exact opposite direction to this.
Michael Geist [michaelgeist.ca] usually carries all the latest news about this topic.
At the same time, I think we have nothing to worry about. In a country that shows a 30% voter turnout (at best), that makes 6.9 million voters. Historically, over 500000 canadians joined the protest against the last attempt to bring laws like this. Thats a 7% swing in the vote towards the party that will stand up against this type of law making. Thats enough to win an election in Canada.
With all this hype over copyright and trademark law, I expect it to be a hot topic in the next election, and with us running under a minority gov't, we could end up with an election at any time.
Re:Cue the apologists... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Disgusting... (Score:5, Interesting)
I've always been a little wishy washy when it comes to voting, I mean both Liberals and Conservatives end up making good points, and I always end up voting for whoever sounds like less of a douche at the debates, despite if their policy actually makes sense or not.
However, this is something that concerns me a bit more. Usually everything breaks down into what will cost us the most tax dollars versus the benefit it brings us. I go along and pay my taxes no matter how much they demand (which is quite ludicrous right now actually, we're taxed something like 40% after GST, PST, Income and other taxes, and don't have half the services of some european countries).
But this is another issue altogether. This could effect the way I do things, punishable by the law. So - yeah, I want to see who supports what in this whole debacle.
Re:As a Canadian... (Score:2, Interesting)
'mmmkay?' Oh my, A south park reference classes up the conversation real well..
You missed the point. The point is "GET YOUR OWN SH*T TOGETHER BEFORE YOU COME POUNDING ON OUR DOOR TELLING US TO CHANGE"
For example we didn't buy the whole WMD in Iraq thing, We didn't buy the whole no banking regulations is a good idea thing, and we are pretty sure the EU/US are wrong about copyright in the digital age as well.
Other things you (the general non-Canadian US centric person) might be wrong about:
Hunting deer and ducks requires weapons capable of firing in excess of 30 rounds of ammo a minute.
Insurance companies really do care about providing health care to their customers, prioritizing that above even shareholder profits.
Homosexuals engaging in consenting, loving relationships with all the legal protections and privileges afforded by marriage will bring on the Gaypocalypse.