see wikipedia
This highly controversial Directive was, at the time, the most heavily lobbied measure to pass the European Parliament.[2] In its final form, it includes only very narrow exceptions to anti-circumvention measures and exclusive rights. As a result, it is often regarded as a victory for copyright-owning interests (publishing, film, music and major software companies) over copyright users' interests.
The Treaty of Rome, signed by France, West Germany, Italy and Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) on March 25, 1957, established the European Economic Community (EEC), an independent supranational economic organization, and came into force on 1 January 1958.
The World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty, abbreviated as the WIPO Copyright Treaty, was an international treaty on copyright law adopted by the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1996. It provides additional protections for copyright deemed necessary by knowledge monopoly dependent industries due to advances in information technology since the formation of previous copyright treaties before it. There have been a variety of criticisms of this treaty, including that it is overbroad (for example in its prohibition of circumvention of technical protection measures, even where such circumvention is used in the pursuit of legal and fair use rights) and that it applies a 'one size fits all' standard to all signatory countries despite widely differing stages of economic development and knowledge industry.
For those of us in the European Union.
see wikipedia
On May 22, 2001, the European Union passed the EU Copyright Directive or EUCD, which addresses some of the same issues as the DMCA. But the DMCA's principal innovation in the field of copyright, the exemption from direct and indirect liability of internet service providers and other intermediaries (Title II of the DMCA), was separately addressed, and largely followed, in Europe by means of the separate Electronic Commerce Directive.
This part will be of particular to those of you located in the United States of America.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law which implements two 1996 WIPO treaties. It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services that are used to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works (commonly known as DRM) and criminalizes the act of circumventing an access control, even when there is no infringement of copyright itself. It also heightens the penalties for copyright infringement on the Internet. Passed on October 12, 1998 by a unanimous vote in the United States Senate and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 28, 1998, the DMCA amended title 17 of the U.S. Code to extend the reach of copyright, while limiting the liability of Online Providers from copyright infringement by their users.
The WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (or WPPT) is an international treaty signed by the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization was adopted in Geneva on December 20, 1996.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is the United States's implementation of the treaty (see WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act). see Wikipedia
WIPO, What is Intellectual Property?
Taken from "Understanding Copyright and Related Rights", page 20
"The duration of protection of related rights under the Rome Convention is 20 years from the end of the year (a) that the recording is made. In the case of phonograms and performances Included In phonograms. or (b) that the performance took place. In the case of performances not Incorporated In phonograms. or (c) that the broadcast took place. for broadcasts in the TRIPS
Agreement and the WPPT. however. the rights of performers and producers of phonograms are to be protected for 50 years from the date of the fixation or the performance Under the TRIPS Agreement. the rights of broadcasting organizations are to be protected for 20 years from the date of the broadcast. Thus many national laws which protect related rights grant a longer term than the minimum contained In the Rome Convention."
from Electronista
The Canadian government's Industry Minister, Jim Prentice, has today officially tabled Bill C-61, a set of proposed amendments to the country's Copyright Act. Early versions of the changes have been criticized by thousands of citizens -- and a number of businesses and other organizations -- as overly harsh, and too close in nature to the United States' Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Prentice has defended amendments as necessary for bringing compliance with the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty Canada signed in 1996.
Today's bill is said to have been somewhat liberalized in response to complaints, and if passed would continue to allow ISPs safe harbor from users' copyright infractions. Similarly, ISPs would only be forced to pass on copyright notices rather than halt illegal material themselves, Reuters notes.
People would also be able to copy legally-bought files at will, but would not only be forbidden from circumventing DRM locks, but even distributing the tools needed to do so. In theory, wording in the legislation could also prevent Canadians from unlocking cellphones. Long-time critic Michale Geist also observes that uploading copyrighted material to YouTube could result in fines as large as $20,000 or more, and ISP provisions may be subject to the proposed, controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
Time- and format-shifting would remain possible, but files could not be kept indefinitely.
