Evidence of meeting #35 for Public Safety and National Security in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was goods.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Director, Intellectual Property, Information and Technology Trade Policy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Yes, we know that. It's estimated that most of it comes from places like China, Russia, various other countries. There are estimates out there. Canada is not a huge source country of counterfeit.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
My recollection of the news on the counterfeit CDs in Toronto, for instance, was that they were actually being produced in Toronto--not the counterfeit, but the intellectual property rights. So it would seem to me that there is certainly the potential, since it's not difficult to do and doesn't take a lot of space, for those to be manufactured here.
Are you suggesting it's mostly for domestic consumption, then?
Deputy Director, Intellectual Property, Information and Technology Trade Policy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I'm not sure of the specific case. Obviously there is the capacity to do so. Again, it's not clear that Canada would be a major producer. My understanding of those types of goods, in terms of mass production, is that often they are done in other countries. There are cases of production in Canada, as I would expect there would be in most countries of the world, developed and developing.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Mr. Cabana made a comment on informed Canadians sometimes being hard pressed to tell the difference. I bought some crazy glue that was as effective as cornstarch in gluing things together. I never, ever suspected that it might be counterfeit. So thank you very much.
Mr. Cullen, you have a brief question.
Liberal
Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just want to make a comment for the record.
I know most of the people on this interdepartmental working group--except for Ms. Segal, who I think is a newer member--and I can speak on very good authority that in the absence of the kind of coordination that was necessary, the Minister of Public Safety, in our government, took charge of this. He was trying to move it along, recognizing the challenges of trying to bring departments all together.
So it was the Minister of Public Safety, given the threats to public safety and health, who had taken charge of this issue and was leading it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
With that, we will wrap up.
I would like to thank our witnesses for coming.
Do any of you have a final comment? Our time is up, but....
Ms. Segal.
Deputy Director, Intellectual Property, Information and Technology Trade Policy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I would like to thank members of the committee for the attention they have displayed to this issue. Obviously it's one we all take very seriously, and we're trying to work as quickly as possible to address the gaps in Canada's regime. But we are also continuing to work with our partners, domestically and internationally, to address the challenges we face and try to make sure that Canadians are as safe as possible.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Thank you.
We're going to meet briefly to discuss future business. Can we do it after the Thursday meeting?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Garry Breitkreuz
Would you all put that on your schedules, please?
Thank you.
This meeting stands adjourned.