Potential extension of copyright in Canada by 20 years

[luzerne]

From Michael Geist's website:

Canada celebrated New Year's Day this year by welcoming the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Carl Jung into the public domain just as European countries were celebrating the arrival of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, 20 years after both entered the Canadian public domain. Canada's term of copyright meets the international standard of life of the author plus 50 years, which has now become a competitive advantage when compared to the United States, Australia, and Europe, which have copyright terms that extend an additional 20 years (without any evidence of additional public benefits).

In an interesting coincidence, the Canadian government filed notice of a public consultation on December 31, 2011 on the possible Canadian entry into the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, trade talks that could result in an extension in the term of copyright that would mean nothing new would enter the Canadian public domain until 2032 or beyond. The TPP covers a wide range of issues, but its intellectual property rules as contemplated by leaked U.S. drafts would extend the term of copyright, require even stricter digital lock rules, restrict trade in parallel imports, and increase various infringement penalties. As I noted last month, if Canada were to ratify the TPP, it would require another copyright bill to undo much of what the government is about to enact with Bill C-11.

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6225/125/

I am an avid use of IMSLP and this concerns me greatly. If you are Canadian, I think an e-mail may be warranted:

Now is the opportunity to help preserve the public domain in Canada by speaking out against TPP copyright provisions that would extend the term of copyright or impose even stricter digital lock rules. The consultation is open until February 14, 2012. All it takes a single email with your name, address, and comments on the issue. The email can be sent to consultations@ international.gc.ca. Alternatively, submissions can be sent by fax (613-944-3489) or mail (Trade Negotiations Consultations (TPP), Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Trade Policy and Negotiations Division II (TPW), Lester B. Pearson Building, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2).

[Carolus]

This is a perfect example of how the folks who always want to extend copyright terms are prone to tell tall tales. Most of Asia, including major economic powers like China and Japan, employ the same 50 pma term Canada does. If anything, Canada's hamonization with the terms of Asian countries should be advantageous vis-a-vis trade with those countries. That's not what the geniuses who push such things as TPP say, however. They instead prefer to prattle on about how extending the copyright yet again is such a great benefit (which is true for the folks who likely pay them to say what they say). In days past, tar and feathers was the preferred remedy for such continual mendacity.