Laws in Canada for Downloading Music
Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing is rampant in Canada. Canadian law and federal courts thus far have had little to say about the situation. Critics cite an urgent need for reform of the copyright statutes in Canada.
Other People Are Reading
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No Downloading Protection
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Canadian copyright law does allow a person to make one digital copy of a song (including on a hard drive) for "personal use." The sale prices of tapes, CDs and MP3s include an extra charge that goes to a fund for compensating songwriters and performers.
Uploading
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Canadian statutes do prohibit uploading of songs, according to many analysts. However, the fact that the law does not differentiate between legal and illegal source material for personal-use copying renders this provision moot.
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U.S. Condemns Canadian Stance
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In April 2009, the United States issued a report that named Canada as a violator of music, film and other copyrights. The report referred not only to piracy in Canada, but also to the large volume of illegally-copied media that moves through the country en route to other regions of the world.
Canadians Download Freely
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In surveys, almost one-quarter of Canadians admit to using P2P sites to download music free of charge, twice the number who buy music through retailers. File-sharing is rampant, with almost no one expressing any reservations about the practice.
Recording Industry Frets
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The Canadian Recording Industry Association has urgently called for strengthening the country's anti-piracy laws. In early 2009, the CRIA pressed the new Canadian government to follow through on its pledge to toughen copyright protections, after two recent unsuccessful attempts by previous governments.
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