Editorial Release – Voice of Business
The federal government has re-introduced copyright legislation. Why should you care, you ask? Because many companies, big and small, rely on the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights to thrive in Canada. Updated copyright legislation will bring Canada up to date with all major industrial economies and clarify copyright laws in the Internet economy. IP is the economic currency of the future. Properly applied, IP rights drive job creation, economic growth and innovation.
Some people worry that updated copyright legislation will stop Canadians from enjoying music or video on their digital media players. This is not accurate. Businesses in Canada do not want to stop people from enjoying their media; but rules do have to be fixed so that illegal commercial operations are stopped. The price tag of IP theft has been extraordinarily high for businesses in Canada. Simply put, inadequate legislation, ineffective policies, and insufficient resources are preventing efficient and effective criminal and civil enforcement against IP theft in Canada. Bill C-32, the Copyright Modernization Act, is the first step forward to better protecting IP rights in Canada and we support the principles of the bill.
The government has the unenviable task of trying to appease business, consumer and political interests to establish good public policy—not an easy task. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals put legislation on the table in recent years only to have them die with elections. We’re anxious to see this new bill get passed that will clarify rights and responsibilities for both business and Canadians—perhaps the third time’s a charm. Business will be relying on Industry Minister Tony Clement and Heritage Minister James Moore to successfully steer this updated legislation through the House of Commons.
Leading economies around the world have made IP protection a priority. In Japan, an IP Strategy Council has been organized. This issue was deemed so important that the Japanese Prime Minister leads the organization, with the CEOs of leading companies such as Canon and Mitsubishi on-board. In France, an anti-piracy commission designed to curtail internet piracy is overseen by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, with the Minister of the Economy and Minister of Culture sharing lead responsibilities.
To illustrate the IP divide between the U.S. and Canada, U.S. customs officials (armed with adequate legislation and resources) seize tens of thousands of shipments of counterfeit and pirated goods each year. In contrast, Canadian border seizures of black market goods are in the dozens. Canadian border agents do not have the authority to search and seize suspected counterfeit goods. Clearly, other nations are taking charge and effecting global changes in IP protection. If Canada does not follow suit, Canadian businesses will be left at the periphery of the global economy.
We also need to ratchet up the awareness of this growing problem with our policy makers, legislators and the public. Unfortunately, many people don’t see the harm in purchasing a fake handbag, purse or movie. “What’s the harm, they say? No one is getting hurt.” But people are hurting. Jobs rely on the proper protection of IP rights. Health and safety of all citizens rely on stopping the proliferation of counterfeit products. And when people buy these goods, we all know where the money is going—underground, and often to organized crime rings and, in some cases, even to funding terrorism.
By better protecting and defining IP rights, we will develop a marketplace that rewards and protects investments in innovations, creations and goodwill, fostering new and innovative business models, stronger economic growth, job creation and prosperity. Better laws and enforcement against counterfeiting and piracy will not only protect consumers from shoddy and often dangerous products such as knock-off electrical cords, batteries and medicine, but will also make it more difficult for criminal syndicates to profit from their sale. In modern, developed nations like Canada, where services and innovation have become key economic drivers, this has never been more crucial.
The government stated in the speech from the throne this spring that it will improve the protection of intellectual property rights in Canada, including copyright reform. As a businessperson and a consumer, the Delta Chamber of Commerce looks forward to Parliament passing this legislation—let’s get this done once and for all.
John Appleby
Chair
Delta Chamber of Commerce