Weber, Stephen Paul

1. How do Canada’s copyright laws affect you? How should existing laws be modernized?
Canada's copyright laws affect me both as a consumer, and also as a software developer, fiction, and non-fiction writer. Existing laws should be modernized by expanding the fair dealings exemptions to cover new uses that are made possibleby the digital world.

2. Based on Canadian values and interests, how should copyright changes be made in order to withstand the test of time
The most important change that could be made to protect Canadian interests over the long term would be to institute commitments by the federal government to never introduce retroactive copyright term extensions, and to never reduce the scope of the fair dealings exemptions.

3. What sorts of copyright changes do you believe would best foster innovation and creativity in Canada?
A reduced copyright term would best foster innovation and creativity in Canada by allowing artists to more effectively build on the past in this fast-paced digital world.

4. What sorts of copyright changes do you believe would best foster competition and investment in Canada?
A commitment by the federal government to protecting technologies that allow for the circumvention of digital locks (for legal, non-infringing purposes) would go far to fostering continued competition in Canada.

5. What kinds of changes would best position Canada as a leader in the global, digital economy?
The changes mentioned above are really all about positioning Canada as a leader in the digital economy by fostering innovation, creativity, and competition. Additionally, a free-to-register free-to-access copyright registry would be a long ways towards enabling Canadians to actually know when a work has entered the Public Domain.

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Stephen Paul Weber