Evidence of meeting #10 for Bill C-32 (40th Parliament, 3rd Session) in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was copyright.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Cardin Bloc Sherbrooke, QC
All right.
In our remaining time, would you have anything to tell the committee in closing?
12:55 p.m.
Lawyer, Analyst, policy and regulations in telecommunications, broadcasting, information highway and privacy, Union des consommateurs
I'd like to discuss certain minor points. I often hear it said that the United States doesn't have a royalty system. It previously had one that applied to DAT digital cassettes. They tried to apply it to the ancestor of the iPod, the Rio. You should also pay attention to the message concerning the Americans. They tried to introduce royalties, but were unsuccessful.
There is a system that no longer applies to iPods today. There was one. Royalties are a win-win system for users and creators. You also have to pay attention to technical protection measures. As we said, considerable emphasis is being placed on the definition of technical measures in the bill. It goes well beyond what the WIPO treaties propose. We suggest amending that definition because you can see it's more than a lock; it amounts to locking up the entire culture.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, sorry, but I have to come back to Mr. Garneau using the words “completely disconnected with any sense of reality” to refer to my reading from Hansard, the official record of the House of Commons. I find that just astonishing.
We have the official record of the House of Commons, where again we voted on this statement:
That the Committee recommends that the government amend part VIII of the Copyright Act so that the definition of “audio recording medium” extends to devices with internal memory, so that the levy on copying music will apply to digital music recorders as well.
That was a statement on which we voted on April 13, 2010, and when we had that vote, members of Parliament voted, and every single New Democratic member, every single Bloc member, and every single Liberal member, including Mr. McTeague and Mr. Garneau, were recorded on the official record of the House of Commons, Hansard, as voting yes to that motion. Every single Conservative member voted no to that motion. It's very clear. It's the official record of the House of Commons.
You know, if we're going to talk about being completely disconnected from reality.... I'm just trying to make a connection to the official record, and the official record says that all three opposition parties are in favour of the iPod tax; it's very clear.
So as we work our way through this legislation, the way to change that reality is to pass a copyright bill quickly, a copyright bill that does not include an iPod tax. That's the way to disconnect from the reality of the way they voted in the past. When Mr. Angus' bill comes up, which is a bill to introduce such a tax, they will have the opportunity at that point to again prove that they're not in favour of it by voting that way. We'll see what happens at that point.
1 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gord Brown
Thank you, Mr. Lake.
Thank you to the witnesses.
The meeting is adjourned.