Jari Ketola
12 Dec 2003 14:13
The Copyright Board of Canada has deemed downloads from peer-to-peer networks legal in Canada. However, much like in other countries, uploading files is still considered illegal. So as long as you're not sharing any copyrighted material, you can use P2P networks in Canada with a clear conscience.
Claude Majeau, the secretary general of the Copyright Board said regarding P2P downloads: "As far as computer hard drives are concerned, we say that for the time being, it is still legal."
Canadian Recording Industry Association doesn't agree with Copyright Board's views. "Our position is that under Canadian law, downloading is also prohibited," said Richard Pfohl, general counsel for the association. "This is the opinion of the Copyright Board, but Canadian courts will decide this issue."
The Copyright Board also decided to impose surcharge on hard drive -based music players, such as Apple iPod. MP3 players with up to 10GB of hard drive capacity will have a $15 government fee added to their price, while larger devices will carry a hefty $25 fee. Players with less than 1GB of memory will get away with $2. The charges put MP3 players to the same category with blank audio tapes and CDs. The money collected will go to a fund, from which artists are compensated for losses caused by consumers' personal copying.
Source:
News.com