Warning to all Pirates : Check your Mailbox !
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WARNINGTOALLPIRATES:CHECKYOURMAILBOX!
J
EAN-SÉBASTIENRODRIGUEZ-PAQUETTE*
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LLP
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AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
CanadianInternetuserswhoillegallydownloadcontentarenowevenmorelikelyto
getawarningnoticefromtheirInternetServiceProvider(ISP)
ThefinalprovisionsoftheCopyrightModernizationActcameintoforceinJanuary
2015,thusmakingofficialanalreadywidespreadvoluntarypractice:theso-called
“noticeandnotice”regime.
Inparticular,Sections41.25and41.26oftheCopyrightActnowrequireISPsto
forwardtheirusersnoticesofclaimedinfringementonbehalfofcopyrightowners
whoseworkshaveallegedlybeenpirated.Intheeventofanillegaldownloadofa
copyrightedwork,thecopyrightownermayalerttheISPoftheinfringementby
providingthemwiththeelectroniclocationdata(IPaddress)oftheallegedinfringer.
TheISPisthenrequiredtosendanoticetotheuser,informingthemthatcontenthas
beenillegallydownloadedtotheirIPaddressand,asthecasemaybe,advisingthem
toceaseanyactivitythatviolatestheCopyrightAct.
ISPsmustnowalsokeeprecordsthatallowtheidentificationofallegedinfringers,for
sixmonthsaftertheInternetusersreceivethenoticeofclaimedinfringement.Iflegal
proceedingsareinitiatedbythecopyrightowner,therecordsmustbekeptforone
year.
ItshouldbenotedthatSection41.26alsoappliestoonlinestorageservices,hosting
providersandsearchengines,allofwhichmustcomplywiththesamerequirements
asISPs.
TheNotice
ThenoticesentbyanISPmustidentifytheworkorothersubject-mattertowhichthe
allegedinfringementrelates.Itmustalsostatetheinterestsorrightsofthecopyright
ownerregardingtheinfringedwork,statetheIPaddressfromwhichthealleged
infringementoccurred,andspecifythedateandtimeoftheinfringement.
©CIPS,2015.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Publishedin
theWinter2015(Vol.18,no.3)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.185E.
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ConsequencesofReceivingaNotice
Anallegedinfringerwhoreceivesanoticeofclaimedinfringementwillhavetheir
nameenteredinaregister,withoutanyothershort-termconsequences.Assuch,the
noticessentbyISPsarenotequivalenttoacease-and-desistletter,anddonotgrant
acopyrightownertherighttoclaimdamagesofanykind.Inordertoclaim
compensationfordamages,acopyrightownermustinitiatelegalproceedings.Inthe
past,similaractionshavealreadybeenundertakenagainstCanadianInternetusers
whoillegallydownloadedthemoviesTheHurtLocker
[http://newsletter.www.robic.ca/nouvelle.aspx?lg=EN&id=207]andDallasBuyersClub
[http://newsletter.www.robic.ca/nouvelle.aspx?lg=EN&id=284].
ItshouldbenotedinpassingthattheISPsthatrefusetocooperateandtransmit
noticesundertheCopyrightActwillbeliablefordamagesof$5,000to$10,000.
PrivacyRights
The“noticeandnotice”regimewasdesignedtorespectCanadianprivacylaws.Since
theonusisoncopyrightownerstoidentifycasesofinfringement,itisimpliedthat
ISPsdonotneedtomonitortheactivitiesoftheirusers.Furthermore,byrequiringthat
thenoticesbesentbytheISPs,thislegislationensuresthatInternetuserspreserve
theirrighttoanonymitywithrespecttocopyrightowners.Thelattermustthereforego
tocourttolearntheidentityofallegedinfringers.ThisisconsistentwiththeR.v.
SpencerdecisionrenderedbytheSupremeCourtin2014,inwhichthecourt
recognizedtheconstitutionalrighttoprivacywithrespecttoanonymityinthecontext
ofInternetuse.
NoRemovalofPiratedWorks
The“noticeandnotice”regimeistheCanadianresponsetoinfringementonthe
Internet.UnliketheU.S.“noticeandtakedown”approach,theCanadiansystemdoes
notrequireISPstoremoveallegedlyinfringingcontent,ordenyaccesstoit.
ImpactoftheNewProvisionsonCanadianInternetUsers
ForCanadianInternetusers,theimpactofSections41.25and41.26oftheCopyright
Actmaynotbesignificant,sincemostISPsarealreadycollaboratingwithcopyright
ownersonavoluntarybasis.Manyusershavealreadyreceivedsuchnoticesfrom
theirISPs.Ofcourse,thefactthatthispracticeisnowbasedinlawmaywellresultin
agreaternumberofnoticesreceivedbyusers.
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Tel.:+1418653-1888Fax.:+1418653-0006
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agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
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industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
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