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The Copyright Myths

By Michael Geist

As part of Monday's Public Policy Forum's symposium on copyright, I was given the opportunity to deliver a short talk on copyright.  I titled the talk "The Copyright Myths," a nod to the rhetoric around the copyright reform issue in Canada (for those who are wondering - the U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins said little controversial at the symposium, leaving the more energetic support of the DMCA to the luncheon speaker from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and keynote speaker Perrin Beatty. All panels featured speakers from both sides of the copyright/IP issue and the outcome of the breakouts emphasized fair dealing and anti-counterfeiting measures). 

I've tried syncing the presentation and the MP3 I recorded of my talk which is posted below.  An MP3 version only of the talk can be accessed here.  For those looking for the short version, my five myths are:

1. The Importance of Copyright - copyright is important, but investment decisions, creativity and new business models are products of much more than just an IP framework as venture capital, tax structures, talent, competitive communications, and government support are all part of the decision making process.
2. Consultations and Reforms - while some argue that Canada has engaged in lengthy consultations with little action, I argue that the opposite is true
3. Canada in the World - lobby groups and the U.S. have been vocal in criticizing Canadian copyright law, yet a closer look reveals that Canadian law stands up impressively by world (and U.S.) standards
4. Copyright in the World - the U.S. would have you believe that all countries must mirror the DMCA, however, the truth is that there is great flexibility in how any country can move forward with digital copyright reform
5. Copyright Consensus - most seem to believe that copyright is too divisive to achieve consensus, but I argue that there is already a broad consensus on an approach that rejects the DMCA and emphasizes balance

Full post as published by Michael Geist on April 29, 2008 (boomark / email).