Professional Documents
Culture Documents
September 2009
The Canadian Federation of Students
British Columbia
University of British Columbia Students’ Union Okanagan
Broadway Campus Students’ Union of Vancouver Community College
Camosun College Student Society
Capilano Students’ Union
Douglas Students’ Union
Downtown (City Centre) Students’ Union of Vancouver Community College
Emily Carr Students’ Union
Kwantlen Student Association
College of New Caledonia Students’ Union
North Island Students’ Union
Northwest Community College Students’ Union
Okanagan College Students’ Union
College of the Rockies Students’ Union
Selkirk College Students’ Union
Simon Fraser University Student Society
Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union
Vancouver Island University Students’ Union
University of Victoria Students’ Society
Prairies
Alberta College of Art and Design Students’ Association
Brandon University Students’ Union
Graduate Students’ Association at the University of Calgary
First Nations University of Canada Students’ Association
University of Manitoba Students’ Union
University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association
University of Regina Students’ Union
Association étudiante du Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface
University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union
University of Saskatchewan Graduate Students’ Association
University of Winnipeg Students’ Association
Ontario
Algoma University Students’ Union
Brock University Graduate Students’ Association
Carleton University Students’ Association
Carleton University Graduate Students’ Association
Association étudiante de La Cité collégiale
Student Association of George Brown College
Glendon College Student Union
University of Guelph Central Student Association
University of Guelph Graduate Students’ Association
Lakehead University Student Union
Laurentian Association of Mature and Part-time Students
Laurentian University Graduate Students’ Association
Laurentian University Studens’ General Association
Association des étudiantes et étudiants francophones de l’Université Laurentienne
85 Member Students’ Unions
Over 600,000 University and College Students
Québec
Concordia Students’ Union
Concordia University Graduate Students’ Association
Dawson Students’ Union
Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University
Maritimes
Cape Breton University Students’ Union
Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students
Holland College Student Union
University of King’s College Students’ Union
Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union
University of New Brunswick Graduate Students’ Association
Student Union of NSCAD University
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union
University of Prince Edward Island Graduate Student Association
Association générale des étudiants de l’Université Sainte-Anne
Section 1. How do Canada’s copyright laws affect you? How should existing laws be
modernized?
Section 2. What sorts of copyright changes do you believe would best foster
innovation and creativity in Canada?
What sorts of copyright changes would best foster competition and
investment in Canada?
Section 3. What kinds of changes would best position Canada as a leader in the
global, digital economy?
Section 4. Based on Canadian values and interests, how should copyright changes
be made in order to withstand the test of time?
Key Recommendations
1. Expand the definition of fair-dealing to be more flexible and inclusive.
2. Regulate the use of technological protection measures so that they do not
interfere with users’ legitimate attempts to use copyrighted works.
3. Eliminate Crown copyright.
4. Strictly limit statutory damages.
5. Enhance moral rights to protect creators.
6. Establish a “notice and notice” system of Internet copyright enforcement.
Students, like most citizens, interact Digital technology has increased the
with copyrighted works on a daily basis. role of new media in popular culture,
Students use textbooks and articles in and students are often on the cutting
classes, quote from research papers and edge of such advancements. With new
publications in their essays, and often technology, students are becoming a
use images, sound and video in their major source of new and re-mixed media,
projects. Copyright legislation affects whether it be creating films and videos,
students virtually every time they walk producing music, or developing new
into a classroom, watch a video online, or ways to share and transform art and
step into the library. knowledge.
However, what is often overlooked is The central question of copyright reform
that students are not only users, but is how best to strike a balance between
also creators of copyrighted material. the needs of users for reasonable access
Students write essays, articles and theses; and use of copyrighted works, and the
develop new technologies, formulas, and need of creators to be protected from
computer software; and create music, unjust appropriation. Good public policy
produce videos and photographic works. should ensure that digital technology
protects the legitimate interests of
Being both users and creators of artists, writers, musicians, researchers,
copyrighted works, students are in a and other creators, while preventing
fairly unique position when it comes copyright owners from using new
to copyright. In order to be able to technologies to restrict reasonable
study, research, write, remix, and access to, and use of information.
regenerate existing creations for new
audiences, students need ready access,
at a reasonable cost, to the copyrighted
works of others.
At the same time, in the face of
aggressive, powerful, and, sometimes
exploitative, distributors of copyrighted
materials, students, like all creators, need
adequate protections from the unjust
appropriation of their works.