Legal to Download/Upload MP3's.......

[RMF]

Wow, this is very cool

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4639920/

RMF

 

[Nexus]

Pulse24
http://www.pulse24.com/Business/Top_Story/20040331-002/page.asp
"Canadian Kazaa users grab your mouse – the music industry won’t know who you are."

Interesting poll they have...

7% Yes, it’s stealing
44% No, it’s for my private use
2% There should be a limit on how many songs you can take
13% We already pay a tax to compensate artists, so who’s harmed?
14% Maybe, but with the price of CDs, I don’t feel guilty
2% It may not be illegal, but it’s immoral
14% It doesn`t matter. You can`t stop technology
1% Other
Date of Poll: 3/31/2004

I'm not familiar with Canada's tax laws, and that part about "we already pay tax to accomodate artists". If anyone can shed light, I'd appreciate it.

Personally this ruling kind of disturbs me.

~ Nexus

 

[Mr Webname]

Strange decision!

 

[Anthony Ng]

Not strange nor disturbing indeed. It only shows that Canada as a community treasures privacy and not bowing to corporate intimidation. Copyright laws are now serving corporate interests more than creative artists as they move more away from the original intent. Just ask any artist or writer and you'll know how much they actually get out of royalty.

 

[Mr Webname]

Just ask any artist or writer and you'll know how much they actually get out of royalty.

But how much do they get out of "pirating"?

 

[Nexus]

Not strange nor disturbing indeed. It only shows that Canada as a community treasures privacy and not bowing to corporate intimidation. Copyright laws are now serving corporate interests more than creative artists as they move more away from the original intent. Just ask any artist or writer and you'll know how much they actually get out of royalty.

I don't think the artists' percentage makes a difference. Artists like Prince have backed all of their music out of their labels control... I think "musical freedom" is just a beard to justify piracy no matter what. Free is certainly an intoxicating wine. I don't think for a minute that people getting free music are really protesting low royalty fees for artists. If someone can't be caught for doing something illegal, all the more reason to give it a shot. It think that's about the thrust of it. Shareware isn't exactly the road to riches for nothing...

~ Nexus

 

[locos]

In Canada it is legal to download music off the internet. This is specifically allowed because when we buy blank tapes or CD-Rs we pay a tax. That tax is then given to musicians to make up for the music that is copied onto the blank media.

This article from last Dec talks about it: http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-5121479.html but at that time it still wasn't legal to upload/share files with others.

 

[Steen]

Yay!

Now everyone in Canada can steal and say it's legal

(jmho) :-D

 

[darrenl]

Damn canada is lucky when will USA allow this?

 

[NameTower]

I havent downloaded songs in months, and I couldn't use iTunes because it doesnt support Canada.

Finally, a solution

- Jordan

 

[RMF]

I wonder if its illegal to sell access to mp3's in canada to canadians?...hmm

RMF

 

[locos]

Now everyone in Canada can steal and say it's legal

Hi Steen, It's legal because we pay royalties everytime you buy a blank media. So the legislation says it's not stealing. So how is it stealing if we (as a group) pay for the right to download? It's fairly Canadian -- the masses pay (including churches who buy blank cassettes but still have to pay the music downloading tax when they are just recording their own services), and then the users get to use the service whether they have paid for it or not. Very Canadian indeed.

 

[FineE]

I am posting a link to the Federal Court of Canada decision on file sharing.

http://www.fct-cf.gc.ca/bulletins/whatsnew/T-292-04.pdf