Well, I think Canada is a laggard in regard to not having updated its copyright laws. There have been a number of attempts to introduce and pass copyright legislation. It is one of those fundamental framework policies that every modern country needs to have. Technology has evolved a great deal over the last 15 years and I think it's important that our legislation be updated to reflect these changes.
People who create material have a right to know what the rules are. Secondly, consumers, the users, also need to know what the rules are so they don't do something that lands them in front of a court with potentially hefty fines.
As for the bill that had been produced before, it was the view of the government that it represented a fair balance between producers and users. We look forward to the parliamentary committee resuming discussion and debate on the bill and to seeing what technical amendments are warranted to further improve the bill.