AfterDawn: News

ESA of Canada wants stronger piracy laws

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) of Canada is currently meeting with the country's members of parliament in an effort to lobby for harsher piracy laws, because the group's members "feel their intellectual property is at risk."

Canada does not allow any pirated goods to be seized without a court injunction, and punishments do not include jail time, only fines.



Danielle Parr, the executive director of the ESA of Canada, added: "At the federal level, the primary issue for us... is the protection of intellectual property."

Parr also believes there should be jail time, and the current fines for pirates are simply a "a slap on the wrist." She also singled out mod chips, saying, "in Canada, these devices are not illegal. They're illegal in virtually every other country."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Apr 2009 22:45

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• 15 comments

• Morreale

  Quote:Parr believes there should be jail time.Parr can move to the US.

  24.4.2009 00:28 #1

• KillerBug

  I agree, Parr should be put in jail.
  

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  24.4.2009 05:32 #2

• chubbyInc

  Why would they want jail time for that sort of stuff? It costs tax payers over $50000 per inmate a year. Why should we all suffer because Parr has a problem with people expressing their anger for overpriced software and games. Lower the prices and more people will buy. $60+ for a game that'll get played for less than a week just isn't worth it.

  24.4.2009 10:57 #3

• H_Seldon

  Since the late 1960's, Canada has become a socialist, left-wing country controlled by a minority of freaks, who formerly underemployed, create special interest groups. These special interest groups are crushing Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. with all their nonsense and propaganda by the bullshitload cleverly served up as brainfood.
  Of course, there would be very little illegal downloading if the price of DVDs and CDs was reasonable, but corporate greed has killed the radio star and the movie stars are long dead.
  But unless downloaders stand firm even to the point of jail, they will lose this latest 'social' adjustment by the freaks. Look at the U.S., where the leaders of the freaks are already fighting the next election. Pretty clever those radical feminists and their freaky followers.
  Canada is the home of the liberal freak who enjoys thinking up ways of taking 'other' peoples' freedoms away. The freaks in the U.S. and the U.K. are fighting to catch up to all the activists in Canada.
  Problem is the 'freaks' won't "stand on guard for thee", unless they can do it with their pants down. And the majority won't fight for a country run by a small minority of very well-organized freaks.
  So if you believe in what you're doing, don't be afraid of saying so and saying it louder than the freaks who like to 'scream' their propaganda into television cameras.
  
  Hari

  24.4.2009 13:37 #4

• windsong

  Hellgate and GTAIV pc were colossal rip-offs by the game industry. Legally they can steal your money and serve up a nice hot cup of $hit for you to enjoy. This guy is no better than the last, and the RIAA is firmly seated in his front pockets. If he hates Canada that much why doesnt he just move to the U.S., which has become a PRISON COUNTRY. I would bet that in ten years, we will see "debtors" prisons come back to the stage as they were in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  
  Never again.

  24.4.2009 14:22 #5

• ddp

  H_Seldon, canada is not a socialist, left-wing country as i live there but we'll leave the politics out & stay on topic.

  24.4.2009 16:19 #6

• ZippyDSM

  The sale of copies are already illicit anything more will make the consumer a defacto criminal...

  24.4.2009 16:30 #7

• bam431

  wow H_Seldon that was terrible have you ever even been to canada. I live there and like ddp said, where not a bunch of "socialist, left-wing country controlled by a minority of freaks, who formerly underemployed, create special interest groups." EH

  24.4.2009 17:04 #8

• XENON

  H_Seldon: Have you actually set foot into this country? I highly doubt that else you'd know this country is far from a socialist wonderland. I should know; Like Joe, I AM CANADIAN! This so called 'organization' is trying to turn canada into a dictatorial mommy state. If they succeed in harsher penalties then the CD/Tape/DVD levies should be removed permanently!

  24.4.2009 18:22 #9

• mike.m

  Originally posted by chubbyInc: Why would they want jail time for that sort of stuff? It costs tax payers over $50000 per inmate a year. Why should we all suffer because Parr has a problem with people expressing their anger for overpriced software and games. Lower the prices and more people will buy. $60+ for a game that'll get played for less than a week just isn't worth it.I agree with prices being way too high. For example, I hardly ever go to the theatres anymore unless I really am looking forward to the movie and if I think it deserves the money. It costs about $10+ for one ticket, to watch it only once, without being able to pause it, in a theatre mostly filled with immature teenagers who just don’t know when to shut it during a movie. And it costs about $5+ for a bottle of water. And that only has to do with movies, let alone the expensive prices for games.
  
  I'd rather download the movie, and if I like it, I'll buy it. I'm not going to pay over $20 to watch it once, hoping it doesn't disappoint.
  
  And if you upload and make money off it, then I can see be fined, but not as much as "they say" they lose money because of it. If you only download (like I do) and if they try to sue us, then they got another thing coming. We Canadians can’t let this be another country being abused by greed like the RIAA, who think they have a jurisdiction everywhere without any laws.
  
  Anyone got one of those copyright infringement emails from ISPs like telus? It’s a joke. They think they can threaten whoever they want and get away with it...not going to happen in Canada if we don’t let it.

  24.4.2009 22:02 #10

• bam431

  Quote:Originally posted by chubbyInc: Why would they want jail time for that sort of stuff? It costs tax payers over $50000 per inmate a year. Why should we all suffer because Parr has a problem with people expressing their anger for overpriced software and games. Lower the prices and more people will buy. $60+ for a game that'll get played for less than a week just isn't worth it.I agree with prices being way too high. For example, I hardly ever go to the theatres anymore unless I really am looking forward to the movie and if I think it deserves the money. It costs about $10+ for one ticket, to watch it only once, without being able to pause it, in a theatre mostly filled with immature teenagers who just don’t know when to shut it during a movie. And it costs about $5+ for a bottle of water. And that only has to do with movies, let alone the expensive prices for games.
  
  I'd rather download the movie, and if I like it, I'll buy it. I'm not going to pay over $20 to watch it once, hoping it doesn't disappoint.
  
  And if you upload and make money off it, then I can see be fined, but not as much as "they say" they lose money because of it. If you only download (like I do) and if they try to sue us, then they got another thing coming. We Canadians can’t let this be another country being abused by greed like the RIAA, who think they have a jurisdiction everywhere without any laws.
  
  Anyone got one of those copyright infringement emails from ISPs like telus? It’s a joke. They think they can threaten whoever they want and get away with it...not going to happen in Canada if we don’t let it. HELL YEAH Totally agree!

  24.4.2009 22:05 #11

• Blackjax

  Well I have a great idea for sending a strong message to all these "industry reps" and all it would take is a clock, a few minutes time, and using something most everyone has right now. Too bad you couldn't get enough sheeple to take part.

  25.4.2009 01:11 #12

• bigE

  Another Canadian weighing in...
  
  I download a lot, (or maybe I should say almost exclusively) but I think it's time we found a common ground. We've had it easy in Canada, in regards to copyright laws, but that time is coming to an end. And perhaps rightfully so; it's clearly been abused.
  
  I myself have downloaded more than my fairshare. But why? Because the other options were too expensive, or the material itself was so questionable in quality that I wouldn't spend the money to "see if I liked it". I like to use Batman as an example. Great movie. Also ridiculously downloaded. Did it affect profits? I say no. Of the people who downloaded it, half would have seen it but didn't because they had a half-ass pirate copy. The other half wouldn't have seen it but liked it so much that they went to theatres to see it again.
  
  Bottom line for me, it all comes out in the wash. I am Canadian, but I would like to see changes to out copyright laws that ensure the protection of both the CONSUMER and the ARTIST, and to be honest, with little regard to the DISTRUBITOR.

  25.4.2009 01:22 #13

• dinomeat

  I really don't see how Socialism has anything to do with Copyright Infringement. If anything these anti consumer and anti P2P ideologies are a power-play by big business to try to keep their monopolies and antiquated business practices intact and profitable.
  
  And as far as Canada is concerned, we have been and will more than likely always be the bitch of both the UK and the USA both of whom need only bark, "Jump!" and our politicians always answer, "How high?".
  
  People in the west have always had some serious ego problems when it comes to property rights, it seems that everything must have a label and everything must be owned by someone. In fact people in general get pretty hung up on who owns what.
  
  Until the rich and powerful decide that P2P is alright, our society will always be a war-zone between the pro and con factions. It's just the way it works.
  
  And yeah, I'm really not impressed by the entertainment industry and their moronic price hikes in the past 15 years...on the other hand that's capitalism for you, money rules all and the making of money supersedes all other considerations, welcome to our present reality.
  

  23.7.2010 20:04 #14

• aldan

  Originally posted by H_Seldon: Since the late 1960's, Canada has become a socialist, left-wing country controlled by a minority of freaks, who formerly underemployed, create special interest groups. These special interest groups are crushing Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. with all their nonsense and propaganda by the bullshitload cleverly served up as brainfood.
  Of course, there would be very little illegal downloading if the price of DVDs and CDs was reasonable, but corporate greed has killed the radio star and the movie stars are long dead.
  But unless downloaders stand firm even to the point of jail, they will lose this latest 'social' adjustment by the freaks. Look at the U.S., where the leaders of the freaks are already fighting the next election. Pretty clever those radical feminists and their freaky followers.
  Canada is the home of the liberal freak who enjoys thinking up ways of taking 'other' peoples' freedoms away. The freaks in the U.S. and the U.K. are fighting to catch up to all the activists in Canada.
  Problem is the 'freaks' won't "stand on guard for thee", unless they can do it with their pants down. And the majority won't fight for a country run by a small minority of very well-organized freaks.
  So if you believe in what you're doing, don't be afraid of saying so and saying it louder than the freaks who like to 'scream' their propaganda into television cameras.
  
  Hari good god where did you get that from.do you even live in canads?

  23.7.2010 20:14 #15