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Who Speaks for the Liberals on Copyright?

By Michael Geist

In an otherwise one-sided account of the Public Policy Forum copyright symposium, Embassy includes some noteworthy remarks from Liberal Industry critic Scott Brison on copyright reform.  The article quotes Brison:

"'Our position is we would work to find the right balance between creators and users,' Mr. Brison said. He said the Act to Amend the Copyright Act, or Bill C-60, which was introduced by the Liberal government in 2005 in response to the digital revolution, was a step in the right direction because it was developed through a process of 'transparent public engagement. The Conservative approach has been anything but transparent,' he said. 'They're developing a position behind closed doors, and Bill C-60 died on the order paper.'

One week after Dan McTeague offered up comments seemingly derived directly from the copyright lobby speaking points, Brison - who as Industry critic presumably will play a key role in developing and articulating the Liberal position - points to two key areas of difference between the Liberals and Conservatives on copyright. 

First, the Liberals may rightly argue that the Conservatives have developed their copyright bill without adequate consultation.  Second, the party can use Bill C-60 as the basis for its policy position.  While C-60 had its shortcomings, it did strike a balance between users and creators by establishing anti-circumvention legislation that preserved fair dealing rights.  If Industry Minister Jim Prentice continues to embrace a U.S. DMCA-style approach, there may be a deep divide in the House of Commons with both the NDP and Liberals seizing the opportunity by pointing to their more equitable alternatives that better address the concerns of education, the business community, and Canadian consumers.

Full post as published by Michael Geist on April 30, 2008 (boomark / email).