ARCHIVED — Richard Akerman
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COPYRIGHT REFORM PROCESS
SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED REGARDING THE CONSULTATION PAPERS
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Submission from Richard Akerman received on September 15, 2001 via e-mail
Subject: Canadian Copyright Reform
I feel strongly that any copyright reform must preserve existince principles of balance, allowing individuals reasonable use of copyrighted material. New technology offers the potential to unreasonably tip the balance in favor of the copyright holders.
These principles include:
- The right of first sale - that is, the right to sell copyrighted material you have purchased. A common example given is that, once you have bought a book, you are free to sell it to whomever you want.
- The right to make personal copies. For example, if I have purchased a CD, I have the right to make a copy of a song onto cassette tape, for my own personal listening purposes.
- The right to fair use. This is very important for academic research. In a library setting, small excerpts from a copyrighted work may be copied, in order to be able to properly investigate and cite them.
Please take these time-honored rights into consideration when crafting any new copyright law. Unreasonable restrictions on these rights will have a counter-productive result, squelching academic investigation and legitimate individual activities.
Richard Akerman
(Address removed)
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