Last week, The US Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus published its 2012 International Anti-Piracy Caucus Country Watch List. Canada, which had previously been on the watch list, has now been reclassified along with Spain as a country “in transition”. According to the report, “Both Canada and Spain have taken positive steps towards putting in place a stronger legal framework for the protection of copyright, and as such we have included them this year as countries in transition to acknowledge the progress made, while urging both to follow through strongly on their commitments.”
Canada’s progress was described by our most important trading partner as follows:
Canada has taken important steps to improve the copyright regime with Bill C-11. The Bill has now been passed, following a multiyear effort to modernize Canada’s legal framework. We are aware of additional concerns that remain to be addressed, and we urge Canadian authorities to bring its laws in line with international norms. We will monitor the implementation of Bill C-11 and encourage Canada to increase enforcement of copyright laws and make further improvements to their protections for intellectual property.
