Flashback to March 19, 2005

On March 19, 2005, the Conservative Party of Canada - not yet Canada's New Government - published its promising Policy Declaration, which included the following section on copyright that I post for the convenience of readers and with a sense of nostalgia:

35. Copyright Legislation

i) The Conservative Party believes that the objectives of copyright legislation

should be:

a) to create opportunities for Canadian creators to enjoy the fruits of their labour to the greatest possible extent;

b) to ensure that the rights of Canadian creators are adequately protected by law;

c) that these rights are balanced with the opportunity for the public to use copyrighted works for teaching, researching and lifelong learning;

d) to continue to allow an individual to make copies of sound recordings of musical works for that person’s personal and individual use; and

e) that enforcement is applied fairly and in accordance with international standards.

ii) The Conservative Party believes that reasonable access to copyright works is a critical necessity for learning and teaching for Canadian students and teachers, and that access to copyrighted materials enriches life long learning and is an essential component of an innovative economy.

iii) A Conservative Government will give consideration to educational public policy goals within the copyright framework. A Conservative Government will work with industry to increase awareness and develop a public education campaign to better inform users and creators on the copyright laws in Canada.

iv) A Conservative Government will eliminate the levy on blank recording materials.