File-sharing Lawsuits

CIPPIC has been actively opposing the record industry's attempts to obtain names and contact information for alleged file-sharers. The Federal Court of Appeal rejected the industry's initial attempt to disclose the identities of the first batch of John and Jane Does the industry sued, but the Court of Appeal also instructed the industry on the requirements it must satisfy in future applications. The industry has stated that it will launch a new round of lawsuits. See our webpage on the Canadian file-sharing lawsuits, and our webpages on file-sharing generally, and online anonymity and John Doe lawsuits. If you think that the record industry should not be suing music fans for file-sharing, you can write to the Canadian Recording Industry Association, expressing your views. Court Documents.

The federal government is currently drafting legislation to address perceived gaps in copyright protection, given the new digital environment. If you want to express your views about whether Canada should expressly prohibit the "making available" of copyrighted recordings without permission, you can write to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and/or the Minister of Industry, both of whom have legislative responsibility over copyright.