Thank you.
This is the insertion of a new clause following clause 24. It has to do with copyright. It's just to add further clarity. It states that, “Section 24 does not limit the right of quotation of any party.” That is our amendment.
We feel this is very important—and we heard from numerous witnesses that it was—because it would allow people to use a small quote from a source in their social media posts, for example, without being penalized for doing so. We feel that's very, very important.
I think it's also important to note that we did hear from quite a few witnesses with regard to the Copyright Act, and concerns were raised. Most notably we heard from Michael Geist, who is a professor and a lawyer who actually specializes in copyright law. I feel that his voice is probably one of the most authoritative in the country with regard to this topic.
He said that essentially clause 24 means that certain parties don't have rights of quotation. That would have to be somehow set aside in the negotiation process, which seems wrong. He also raised concerns with regard to what this would mean in terms of international agreements and international copyright law. He also noted that this is not found in the Australian legislation that Canada's heritage minister, Minister Rodriguez, has claimed he is fashioning this bill around. We've noted other areas in which the government has departed from the Australian legislation, actually in a negative way, and has actually taken liberties that are quite likely setting this bill up for a charter challenge at minimum, if not further challenges.
With clause 24 in its current state being a violation of international law and the Copyright Act, we're looking to bring further clarification and essentially contend for Canadians' ability to share small amounts of content in a quoted format within their social media platforms.
I will leave it there for now and perhaps revisit it in a moment.