Canada: We'll search your iPod for infringing media

Thu May 29, 2008 11:39AM EDT

See Comments (58)

Big Brother is alive and kicking in the Great White North. According to The Vancouver Sun, the Canadian government is preparing to revamp its copyright laws in regard to portable electronics, including laptops and iPods, as it forges an alliance with the U.S. and the European Union called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). ACTA would essentially turn international borders into a copyright Gestapo, compelling border guards to check "laptops, iPods and even cellular phones for content that 'infringes' on copyright laws, such as ripped CDs and movies."

You ripped a DVD legally (say, using one of those digital download editions now included on some discs)? Doesn't matter. Guards can seize your iPod and even destroy it if they deem you've broken the law. Then you will be fined. Canada already performs random searches of laptops to search for child pornography. The new rules would step up these searches considerably.

Of the myriad problems with such a law, the first thing that leaps to mind is my bafflement over ACTA's failure to distinguish between legal and illegal content, and (if they do eventually give a pass for legal content) how border guards could determine whether a video was downloaded legally from iTunes or illegally from BitTorrent. Is all this going to happen in the lines at Customs as travelers wait to get back home? Is this, seriously, what our security infrastructure ought to be concerned with? How much will Canada spend each year on guards searching iPods and cell phones for illegal videos? Everything about ACTA just screams wrong.

Of course, ACTA is not just a Canada thing. The U.S., where the vast majority of illegal copied content originates, has been floating this idea to dozens of countries for about a year. But Canada's secret negotiations on actually enacting the rules are what are giving people pause. The good news: At the upcoming G8 meeting, ACTA is expected to be tabled... for now.

LINK: Copyright deal could toughen rules governing info on iPods, computers 

Comments on Canada: We'll search your iPod for infringing media

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  • 6 Posted by echo_iguana on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    OK folks you are upset about the loss of your computer and/or your Ipods, think about this there other laws just as ridiculous in place or bills in progress which are just a silly. Think back to the 90's when clinton was trying to get harsher gun laws for example. People with little or no experience are making decisions for you. Canada is a socialist country. The government does everything for the people including tax them at close to 50% and do they taxes for them. They have brutal gun laws as well. If you are really serious about not wanting this to happen GET INVOLVED!!!

  • 7 Posted by draik_hero@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Because of your not having pirated content, the terrorists have not won, is that the mindset now? I mean, I heard an article that said terrorists are supposedly pirating stuff for low risk, high paying funds.

  • 8 Posted by bizboy13 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just another Big Governments power grab. I say ----- Canada and don't travel there !

  • 9 Posted by therez0 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    This isn't just Canada that they want this for... they are trying to get this ACTA enacted in the European Union and USA as well. And having something tabled at a G8 meeting is definitly NOT a good thing, having something tabled (in the Canadian definition of the verb form table ) means its scheduled to be presented for discussion. I think I will be writing my congressman a leter this weekend, theres no way I will let something like this slide by (although there is little that he can do since its an international trade agreement).

  • 10 Posted by jmonts@nvbell.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    Canada doesn't care how much tax money they waste. They passed and implemented a nationwide gun registration system that was supposed to only cost 300 million, instead it has gone well past 3 billion, and the compliance rate is extremely low. What's another few billions, they will just raise the tax rate to 55% to cover the difference. Another country completely off my visit list. Pity, Canadians, with very few exceptions, are very nice people.

  • 12 Posted by barryo1994 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    "Looks like I'll have to forget about bringing my iPod and laptop with me next time. No, I'll just be playing on my brother's DS then to pass the time off :p" Maybe that DS game is pirated. :P If these people are so stupid that they can't tell between a BitTorrent file and a iTunes download, they shouldn't be trusted with anything - it's not that hard. iTunes files are in that wierd .m4v format, BitTorrent downloads aren't. I'll just sneak in my iPod, it's not like they're smart enough to notice it.

  • 13 Posted by coldbeer5 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    Bunch of sensitive people. It is file sharing.

  • 14 Posted by syixstring85 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    why do people make fun of canada all the time? oh wait..... point proven --thx

  • 15 Posted by syixstring85 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    why do people make fun of canada all the time? oh wait..... point proven --thx

  • 16 Posted by jorgecarlostapia on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    First, its aviolation of private property, second, what, no human rights???, third, say, you have an 80 gig Ipod, how will they check song by song what has or not has been done illegaly, and last, come on, everybody knows since songs have been downloadable the ipod really broke thru the market, what, back to CD's??? thats just plain stupid, put that money on third wolrd countries, put it on safer streets, on more education, not on checking my ipod for 'illegal songs', that I will have. Yes I do download song, and also buy and algo rip old CD's. Everyone does it. If not, go back to the "walkman"/

  • 17 Posted by dcsoccer25 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    OK about the iTunes downloads being in a different format. Well guess what, not all my purchases have been from iTunes. I have music in .mp3 as well. Some of it was ripped with WMP and some was bought through other online retailers.

  • 18 Posted by br0xey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    absolutely ridiculous, a complete waste of money and man power. Shouldnt they be spending any extra money and man power to protect us from terrorists not trying to destroy and fine me for my new copy of whatever that was harmlessly received?

  • 19 Posted by langehigh on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    Funny that the author says the US distributes "the vast majority of the illegal cpoied content" but doesn't give any sources for that information. Perhaps the author should take a trek to China to see where the real piracy is costing billions.

  • 20 Posted by nighteye23 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Do people actually visit Canada? This only affects those two people that do, so rock on Canada!

  • 21 Posted by lackeyr@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    This proposed law is illegal search and seizure and goes light years past the charter of rights and freedom. Its time apathetic Canadians stood up for their rights and demanded common sense and accountability from their elected representatives. Wake up Mr and Mrs Canada, get off the couch and talk to your MP!!!

  • 22 Posted by rcbrush99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    And, again, how does this relate to terrorism? These Draconian laws are a blight on humanity. Could you please show us the slightest hint of necessity for such ridiculous efforts? We just want to live; could you give us an f'n break, please?

  • 23 Posted by luay14 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is not really practical ... if I bought an Original music CD, and then ripped the tracks to keep them on my hard drive instead of keep inserting the CD in and out ... how would they know if it's actually legal CD tracks or just some tracks I have downloaded from somewhere ?!

  • 24 Posted by breath.tester on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    The US is negotiating ACTA through the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), an office within the Bush Administration that has concluded more than 10 %

  • 25 Posted by cjyoho on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    Looks like I will never go to Canada, eh, because they would take my legally downloaded material, eh. The way around this is to store all your music on the web (either throe g-mail, a web storage site or a hard drive with network attached storage (NAS) attached to your home network. And once in the country access your material. Ha take that America's Hat.

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