Some [belated] thoughts on the throne speech
Since the throne speech was delivered last month, there has been much talk of the possibility of copyright reform because copyright was mentioned. Today, I was at the ACTRA website in search of something else and noticed their press release response to the throne speech, which reflected on the absence of culture from the throne speech.
The absence of culture from the throne speech is unfortunate, but not entirely surprising on its own. After all, I can see why issues such as war, crime and the environment would enjoy more time in the limelight than culture. What I did find surprising is that copyright can be mentioned without any mention of culture. This disconnect is alarming in light of some of the warnings by others about the direction copyright reform might take.
The copyright act exists primarily to protect and encourage the creation of the very things which most people consider to be the essential aspects of culture. By mentioning copyright without any mention of culture, it’s obvious that “copyright reform” is currently headed toward changes which will provide some stakeholders with more income and leave the encouragement of creation by the wayside.
As a technology enthusiast and a visual artist, I have a strong interest in copyright reform. But copyright reform (even if it can be made to benefit the actual creators of copyrightable works) can not alone ensure that quality work continues to be made. Creators undoubtedly need to be able to sustain themselves financially from their creations, and although copyright can play a part in securing that financial support, copyright alone can not be the source of a creator’s income.
The innovations in technology have allowed people to enjoy culture in entirely new ways which were never before imaginable. And while some have decided to try to discourage private practises which they see as harmful (some of these ideas recently being challenged), they’re ignoring the fact that there are longstanding commercial practises which take advantage of creators. These things can not be fixed by simply fortifying the copyright act against new technologies and perceived threats.
Tags: copyright, political, technology
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