Mr. Speaker, UNESCO has designated today as International Copyright Day.
The Bloc Quebecois wishes to take this opportunity to remind the Minister of Canadian Heritage that authors are eagerly awaiting phase II of the copyright legislation review.
Like them, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and work to better protect their rights, to obtain not just symbolic but real recognition of neighbouring rights, as well as royalties on data storage and recording devices.
We would be dismayed to see the minister use the legislative review process as an excuse to undermine copyrights by introducing a series of exemptions.
Copyrights allow originators to retain ownership of their work and to authorize its use. They must not be restricted but adapted to the technological realities.