http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2...ht-canada.html
Last Updated: Thursday, January 11, 2007 | 9:39 AM ET
The Canadian Press
Ever recorded a television show or a movie so you can watch it later? Or ripped a CD so you can listen to it on your MP3 player?
With changes to Canada's copyright laws expected as early as next month, these mundane 21st century activities could theoretically be open to prosecution ― unless the Conservative government steps in with expanded "fair use" or "fair dealing" protections for consumers.
Close observers of the file say all signs point to a new regime that will improve safeguards for major music, film and media companies and artists for unpaid use of their material, but neglect to make exemptions for personal use of copyrighted content.
'About as market interventionist as you can get'
"We're dealing with an industry minister [Maxime Bernier] that's tried to extricate government from the telecom area with a very strong deregulatory focus," said Michael Geist, the Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa.
"Yet the kind of copyright reform that is being contemplated is about as market interventionist as you can get."
Amendments to the Copyright Act are fraught with problems, since there are so many players with contradictory views.