The Tories have introduced long-awaited, contentious changes to the Copyright Act that would make individuals liable for up to $5,000 for illegally making copies of DVD movies or digital music.
The legislation was introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, while Industry Minister Tony Clement spoke about the changes it proposes during a news conference at the office of a video-game company in Montreal.
"We see this as a real balance between the legitimate interests of the consumer and the legitimate interests of the creator," Clement said. "We want creators to feel welcome in Canada."
If passed into law, the new rules would enhance legal protection for companies who produce copyright-protected material such as music, software and movies.
They would also make commercial and personal users into two separate legal categories. Currently, individuals and businesses that breach the Copyright Act are both liable to fines of up to $1 million.
Under the proposed changes, removing a technological lock in order to transfer legally acquired copyright material, such as CDs or DVDs, onto multiple digital devices would become a violation.
But on CTV's Power Play later Wednesday, Clement said the reforms are designed to target large-scale violators of copyright law, rather than individuals who may download an occasional song.
Penalties for copyright infringements would be commensurate with the damage done to the proprietor of the intellectual property, he said.
"We are working with the copyright holders and the creators and the artists to go after the big guys and gals," Clement said. "The ones that are putting millions of movies or millions of songs online, destroying the value completely by doing so -- that's where we want to target."
The Conservatives say that providing legal protections for material protected by digital locks would benefit video-game companies in particular, which employ some 15,000 people across the country.
"Canadian companies will benefit," said Heritage Minister James Moore, who accompanied Clement at the Montreal news conference. "It is essential to protect these jobs and this creativity ... to make sure Canada remains a centre of creativity."
David Fewer, a copyright and technology lawyer, said the digital-lock measure was long expected.
"There are international treaties that Canada has signed but has not implemented yet, that require us to craft some sort of legal protection for the digital locks that protect content," he told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel Wednesday.
Fewer said there are legitimate reasons for consumers wanting to pick digital locks.
"(Consumers) want to use content they've purchased in ways they want to use it and digital locks won't always let them do that," Fewer said.
The Tories say the copyright reforms are designed to bring Canadian law in line with international standards and to address the concerns of the entertainment industry.
They tried to introduce similar changes to the Copyright Act two years ago but backed down after a massive online campaign opposed the measures.
"We've been trying as a Parliament to get copyright legislation through since 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' was in the Top 10," Clement acknowledged. "So this has been taking a while."
Clement said earlier that he did not expect the bill would please everyone.
"Any bill worth its salt in this is going to have elements that strive to balance those interests, and not everybody's going to like where the balance is going to be struck," Clement told The Canadian Press.
With files from The Canadian Press
