Department of Canadian Heritage to Revamp Copyright Laws

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Hold on to your rights we are about to go at it again. The folks at Canadian Heritage have announced that they will revamp the copyright laws amongst other issues in 2007-8. According to a report from CBC News, we can expect to see reviews of many of our arts legislations. On copyright, the department announcement went as follows.
"The department plans to bring the Copyright Act into line with the two most recent World Intellectual Property Organization treaties on the subject, and be updated to "address issues related to technological advances and the internet," the document said."
Hopefully, this time around we will actually get legislation before the next election tables it all again. Don't, however, look for an easy go of it for photographers. Several individuals and organizations want our rights curbed, rather than extended to match those of our American cousins.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Mike Guilbault]

Might be a good time then to start another letter writing campaign to your MP?

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

I couldn't agree more Mike! If we don't rattle our sabres, no one is going to do it for us.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Darrol]

PPOC and CAPIC have been fighting this battle for years. I'm really starting to doubt that we will ever see the "you shoot it, you own it" legislation that the rest of the free world has. My guess is that they are going to address whatever issues they feel infringe on the owners' copyrights, but not change the actual ownership rules.

One big problem is that there are two copyright sections to deal with: one for the general public and one for the government, or "agents of the crown". Changing the one for the public will assist portrait and wedding people, but I don't see the government one changing any time soon, so us commercial guys will still have to fight every step of the way.

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Neither of those organizations have been fighting that hard Darrol. They have been sort of like the Americans in both world wars, who jumped in in 1916 when we got in trouble in 1914 and again in 1942 when we got in trouble in 1938. If we are ever going to see positive change, we have to do it ourselves. Starting with our MP's and not stopping until we get what is rightfully ours.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Darrol]

Well, they're putting on a good show! Between the two of them, I believe they've spent upwards of $100,000 over the last 5 years or so, paying lobbyists and whomever else to help them.

Member's money, BTW. And every time they apparently get close, an election is called and its put off again.

Frustrating.

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Hi Darrol:
Exactly my point, unfortunately for us, as the music industry has already found out, $100,00.00 a year won't cut it let alone over 5 years. According to one IP attorney, in order to effectively lobby legislation through parliament requires very deep pockets. His estimates for what we want achieved were closer to several hundred thousand to a million or more dollars over the course of the drafting and reading of the bill.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Alastair]

Does anyone have any links to the proposed legislation or to the news story. The whole reason this is being done is because of pressure from the USA and the DMCA, which will probably help the photographers because it centres around the producers of the copyrightable material.

Doesn't mean it's a slam-dunk by any means, though...

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Hi Alastair:
Here is the link to the story on CBC News. For the moment, it is all I have on the subject, since I do not believe any white paper has yet been released.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2007/05/09/heritage-policy.html

Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

This is how you go about changing copyright law!! The sooner we give up our multiple front approach and unite all the affected bodies, the sooner we will stand a chance of prevailing.
http://news.com.com/Backers+of+stronger+copyright+laws+form+lobby+grou p/2100-1028-6184604.html?part=dht&tag=nl.e433

Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Darrol]

I agree!! However, the difficulty may be that the vast majority of photographers don't belong to any organization. Right now PPOC and CAPIC have joined forces to lobby the gov't, but I'm not aware of any other photographic organization that has come forward to assist or join this lobby. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Joining together is imperative. Unfortunatly, in order to join together, you have to join something first. Apparently, this is an issue.

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Hi Darrol:
You are right but, it is not only us, we need to join with all the other affected industries, recording, radio, television, motion picture, performing arts, all of them. As well there are other bona fide groups that can act as organizations. There is Canphoto for example and NPAC and EP Canada and ECNPA and WCNPA there are more of us than we think. Joining something is a problem, I agree but joining together shouldn't be.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Darrol]

How many PPOC/CAPIC members are members of this forum? Please chime in, because I propose to contact our copyright chair (PPOC) and find out how best to approach these other entities. This is the kind of initiative we need to push this through. PPOC/CAPIC members: is this a good idea yes/no? Maybe its already been done, or attempted, I don't know.

[Mike Guilbault]

I'm member, and yes, it has been done before, but obviously we need to do it again.

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Darrol and Mike:
I am a member of neither PPoC or CAPIC, but I am a member of some of the others. Whatever help I can lend, count me in.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

[Andre Amyot]

I am sorry to inform you Peter that both PPOC anc CAPIC not only spent hundreds of thousands of $$$ in the fight for copyright in the last 15 years but have been present in MP'S offices, parlimentary commissions etc for the same period of time. I know, I was there for many years. MP'S will be sensitive to mailing campaigns if the are spear headed by organizations. The only thing MP's worry about is the number of voters they can speak for. One voter in one constituent bears little weight. The letter campaigns we launched years ago did carry a lot of importance.
I am sorry, I don't want to sound negative but our biggest problem was and still is, each time we are so close to getting our way even with the ownership rights, the government falls and we have to start over again. With this minority government, we stand to start over again sooner than later. All we have to hope for, is Heritage to move faster this time.
Now that's the pain of the century.

André Amyot former PPOC president, member of CAPIC and copyright chair.

[Peter Wm. Richardson]

Andre:
Don't be sorry,:) I'm always open to correction of my opinions. They may be spending the money and the governments have indeed been falling, but I still think the results could be better and a concerted attack by all the content providers would hold much more weight than separate approaches. I've written more letters to more MP's, none of whom give a damn about anything that does not line their pockets, as far as I am concerned, than you can shake a stick at, but the bottom line, as you so aptly point out, is that if it doesn't threaten to put them out on the street, it goes no where. Forgetting, for a moment that too many photographers are either indifferent or apathetic to their own best interests, the other content providers are less so and they have, by and large, the support of their corporate counterparts, which does carry a lot of weight and combined with as many individuals as can be mustered, should make a difference.Making government move quickly is next to impossible, unless there is an overwhelming tide of pressure put upon them. The Americans have the right idea, get everyone on board and things happen. Whether or not it is an unholy alliance and regardless of whether or not there are diverging opinions as to how the laws need to be changed, the very presence of a unified front makes governments take action. Disney trumps John Doe every time in Washington or Ottawa.
With apologies to any honest politicians dedicated to the public good,
Peter
Peter Wm. Richardson
Photojournalist
peterw@journalist.com

PS> I am enjoying your latest article, well done.
Peter

[Mike Guilbault]

André... nice to see you here! Do you have a copy of the letter that we (PPOC/CAPIC) all sent to our MP's a few years ago? Maybe publishing it here so that members can can view and paraphrase a copy to their own MP's might help. I can't seem to find my copy, but I remember the sample being well thought out and written.

[andrewr]

André... nice to see you here! Do you have a copy of the letter that we (PPOC/CAPIC) all sent to our MP's a few years ago? Maybe publishing it here so that members can can view and paraphrase a copy to their own MP's might help. I can't seem to find my copy, but I remember the sample being well thought out and written.

I'm not sure if this is the same letter, but I did some searching and found an old post that includes a sample letter and a link to the ECNPA site with a similar letter.

http://www.canphoto.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1784&postcount=21

Andrew

[Mike Guilbault]

That's the one Andrew. Thanks for digging it up!