In the ongoing battle to keep Canadian copyright reform from turning into American-inspired, lobbyist-driven DMCA-style legislation, Michael Geist has made a series of principles, a “wishlist” if you may, which he feels need to be addressed by the government to ensure that copyright law does not undermine education, free speech, and our rights as Canadian citizens. Can’t say I disagree with him.

If you are new to this issue, are uncertain about certain aspects of it, or simply have a hard time understanding how it affects you and your rights, this is a perfect primer to get on board. Even for someone who has been following the situation, it’s a great way to keep things in perspective.

For instance, I didn’t know an infringing party can be fined up to $20,000 in statutory damages without any real proof of actual loss. Doesn’t that come across as a little more than excessive?

You can also join the Fair Copyright for Canada group on Facebook which have a bunch of useful links (some of which I have linked to from here) and some discussion as well.

Michael Geist - My Fair Copyright for Canada Principles
Facebook | Fair Copyright for Canada