Tories want to wrap copyright law by Christmas
- Thread starter mentalfloss
- Start date
Protected AAC files:
iTunes 4: About iTunes Store Song Bitrate
Purchased songs are encoded using MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format, a high-quality format that rivals CD quality.
Songs purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store are AAC Protected files and have a bitrate of 128 kilobits per second (kbit/s).
The purchased song should sound as good as or better than a 160 kbit/s MP3 file. Because the bit rate is lower, though, the AAC file takes less disk space than the MP3 file.
ITunes Plus files:
iTunes Store: iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
iTunes Plus is the new standard on iTunes. iTunes Plus downloads are songs and music videos available in our highest quality 256 kbps AAC audio encoding (twice the audio quality of protected music purchases), and without digital rights management (DRM). iTunes Plus music can be burned to CD as many times as you need, synced to any AAC-enabled device (such as iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV), and played on any Mac or Windows computers you own.
Um.. I've been downloading 256kbps m4a files.. not sure how that works, but that's what I'm getting.
Harper government stands firm on digital locks in new copyright bill
OTTAWA (Postmedia News) - The Conservative government said Thursday it won't budge on controversial rules about digital locks in its new copyright bill.
The provisions would make consumers liable for thousands of dollars in legal damages if they break the digital encryption on a purchased DVD or video game to make a backup copy for themselves.
Saying the consequences of such actions "are potentially really quite disastrous," Heritage Minister James Moore told reporters the government is open to technical amendments of the bill. But he said he wouldn't budge over the general prohibition against breaking digital locks that prevent people from making copies of the material — even if it's for personal use.
This includes picking a digital lock to view a DVD purchased overseas, to transfer a purchased e-book to read on another personal device, or to create a backup copy of a purchased online game.
The bill, tabled in the House of Commons Thursday in the exact same form as the one that died with the 2011 election call, does not distinguish between such activities and a person picking a lock on a DVD in order to burn and sell thousands of pirated copies.
"I don't see us moving," Moore said of the digital lock provisions. "This is not about anything other than empowering creators with the tools to protect themselves from those who would steal from them."
And when it comes statutory damages, the bill distinguishes between commercial and non-commercial copyright infringement, placing a $5,000 cap on liability in non-commercial cases such as picking a lock on a DVD purchased overseas to watch at home.
Charlie Angus, the NDP's copyright critic, said he's disappointed to see the same digital lock provisions in the bill.
These will "criminalize consumers for doing what is something that should be fairly straightforward," Angus told reporters on Parliament Hill. Angus also flagged the issue of artist revenues being "erased" and a provision in the bill that he said will require distance education students "to burn their class notes after 30 days."
Liberal Heritage critic Scott Simms also zeroed in on the digital lock provisions, "which so many Canadians oppose, appear to be driven completely by U.S interests."
This is the Conservatives' third attempt to update Canada's copyright law since they ascended to government in 2006. Two previous attempts, tabled in minority parliaments, were unsuccessful.
Harper government stands firm on digital locks in new copyright bill
My question is.. how do they catch the offenders?
The provisions would make consumers liable for thousands of dollars in legal damages if they break the digital encryption on a purchased DVD or video game to make a backup copy for themselves.
Saying the consequences of such actions "are potentially really quite disastrous," Heritage Minister James Moore told reporters the government is open to technical amendments of the bill. But he said he wouldn't budge over the general prohibition against breaking digital locks that prevent people from making copies of the material — even if it's for personal use.
This includes picking a digital lock to view a DVD purchased overseas, to transfer a purchased e-book to read on another personal device, or to create a backup copy of a purchased online game.
The bill, tabled in the House of Commons Thursday in the exact same form as the one that died with the 2011 election call, does not distinguish between such activities and a person picking a lock on a DVD in order to burn and sell thousands of pirated copies.
"I don't see us moving," Moore said of the digital lock provisions. "This is not about anything other than empowering creators with the tools to protect themselves from those who would steal from them."
And when it comes statutory damages, the bill distinguishes between commercial and non-commercial copyright infringement, placing a $5,000 cap on liability in non-commercial cases such as picking a lock on a DVD purchased overseas to watch at home.
Charlie Angus, the NDP's copyright critic, said he's disappointed to see the same digital lock provisions in the bill.
These will "criminalize consumers for doing what is something that should be fairly straightforward," Angus told reporters on Parliament Hill. Angus also flagged the issue of artist revenues being "erased" and a provision in the bill that he said will require distance education students "to burn their class notes after 30 days."
Liberal Heritage critic Scott Simms also zeroed in on the digital lock provisions, "which so many Canadians oppose, appear to be driven completely by U.S interests."
This is the Conservatives' third attempt to update Canada's copyright law since they ascended to government in 2006. Two previous attempts, tabled in minority parliaments, were unsuccessful.
Harper government stands firm on digital locks in new copyright bill
My question is.. how do they catch the offenders?
I wouldn't be surprised if this gets appealed in courts once it becomes law, the whole fair use exemptions are useless with the DRM lock.
I really fail to see how the breaking of digital locks can even be enforced. Are there going to be MP3 inspectors wandering around with special warrants to check people's music players? And if they did resort to such an Orwellian tactic could the inspectors even tell if an MP3 file was legal or illegal? It seems like a lot of smoke and mirrors to me. What do you want to bet that most of the MPs in the House of Commons are themselves in possession of MP3s obtained from media sources that they did not buy?
If you want decent quality audio files, go for FLAC files.
But for most people, mp3s are good enough for their hearing and the quality of the music.
But for most people, mp3s are good enough for their hearing and the quality of the music.
I imagine they'll use the laws to prosecute commercial operations where they can definitively say, we caught you with 4000 burned copies of (insert movie name here
