Moore calls on opposition to stop C-11 delays

OTTAWA—Heritage Minister James Moore is urging the opposition parties to stop delaying copyright reform Bill C-11 in the House of Commons and send it to committee. “We just need to get it back to committee, to where it was in the previous Parliament. Let’s hear from Canadians, let’s hear from witnesses,” Moore told reporters Monday following a speech at the International Institute of Communications conference in Ottawa. “The posturing you’re seeing in the House of Commons does not serve Canada’s intellectual property needs.” The government said this summer that it hoped to see its omnibus copyright reform bill pass the House of Commons before Parliament rose for the Christmas break, but those prospects now appear bleak. The Conservatives have put forward a motion to read the bill a second time and move it to a special legislative committee for study, but the Liberals moved an amendment to the motion saying the House should decline second reading, which must happen before the bill moves to committee. Each new amendment requires further debate on the amendment in the House. The House voted and defeated the Liberal amendment Tuesday. The Liberal amendment said the party opposes the bill because of its strict legal protection for digital locks, an unclear test for fair dealing exceptions, and a lack of mechanisms to provide funding and revenue streams to artists. Moore said the NDP is also putting up an excessive number of MPs to debate the bill and stall it. “The New Democrats, with 103 seats in the House of Commons, are determined to allow 103 members of Parliament to speak on this legislation to stall this bill for reasons that escape me,” he said in his speech at the conference. The House of Commons has announced the membership of the legislative committee to study the bill, with NDP MP Glenn Thibeault as chair. Bill C-11 is identical to its predecessor, Bill C-32, which died at committee stage last spring when Parliament dissolved for a general election. The former legislative committee heard from 75 witnesses representing a broad range of interests such as recording companies, book publishers, broadcasters, teachers, students, industry associations, tech companies, consumer groups and experts. In September Moore said the new legislative committee would pick up where the previous committee left off, and that he hoped it would sit for up to 16 hours a week to finish with the legislation quickly. news@thewirereport.ca

Moore calls on opposition to stop C-11 delays

News | 11/29/2011 6:53 pm EST

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