Hacker News Reader

Comment by andybak | Hacker News Reader

Canada has a reputation as a "softer, gentler" version of the US. I'm aware this is probably a gross distortion but the one topic about Canada where I hear more disturbing stories than any other is in relation to the amount of regulatory (or judicial/legislative) capture around copyright issues.

Does the Canadian copyright lobby have friends in very high places? Or compromising photos of friends in very high places?

More seriously - what gives? How comes it appears that the Canadian system seems so one-sided on anything IP related? Or is it just an artefact of getting my Canada news from HN?

View on HN

> Does the Canadian copyright lobby have friends in very high places?

Yes, to the degree that a certain percentage of Radio and TV content must be of Canadian origin:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_content

That's a CRTC ruling designed to promote Canadian content. It's a protectionist measure because the US is right next door. It has helped artists get exposure. Stills shitty when a third of the radio content is the same stuff all the time.

>That's a CRTC ruling designed to promote Canadian content. It's a protectionist measure because the US is right next door. It has helped artists get exposure. Stills shitty when a third of the radio content is the same stuff all the time.

This is why the Internet is such a wonderful thing, when it works properly (without worrying about georestrictions, for instance): it allows us to route around things like Cancon, and listen to the streaming audio of our choice.

While this can be annoying, I don't see what it has to do with copyright. Can you elaborate?

> Or is it just an artefact of getting my Canada news from HN?

Bingo.

Look up how many individuals end up getting sued for massive settlements (i.e. extorted into settling) in Canada vs the US.

Do you have the numbers?

Also, Canada's copyright laws in general are much saner than in the USA. For example, (unless it's changed recently - I know there's been discussion), if you have a copyrighted work, (say a CD), you're allowed to make a copy for yourself for backup purposes.

It may even be legal to break the "digital lock" on things like DVDs and Blu-Rays in order to create your backup copy, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com