Originally posted by: boris
In Canada? I know that "backing up" a commercial DVD is illegal in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, here, and just about anywhere that respects copyright - I really don't think backing up film would be legal either.
Canada does not have DMCA-style copyright legislation (as it shouldn't), so I don't think you can automatically lump Canada in with those other anti-consumer copyright regimes. I have never read that making a backup of a DVD you own is illegal in Canada. I'm quite sure, in fact, that the 'fair dealing provision' still allows it.
Also I agree with Lucasfilm's right to decline to allow anyone to show Star Wars publicly - I don't agree with the reasons - however it's illegal to show it publicly without their permission, so they can say no if they like. And that makes sense.
In Canada? I know that "backing up" a commercial DVD is illegal in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, here, and just about anywhere that respects copyright - I really don't think backing up film would be legal either.
Canada does not have DMCA-style copyright legislation (as it shouldn't), so I don't think you can automatically lump Canada in with those other anti-consumer copyright regimes. I have never read that making a backup of a DVD you own is illegal in Canada. I'm quite sure, in fact, that the 'fair dealing provision' still allows it.
Also I agree with Lucasfilm's right to decline to allow anyone to show Star Wars publicly - I don't agree with the reasons - however it's illegal to show it publicly without their permission, so they can say no if they like. And that makes sense.
I disagree. For music, there is no way an artist can say, "I recorded that song in 1977, and released a new live version in 1997, so you may not ever play the 1977 version again." I'm quite sure there is statutory licensing that prevents that sort of nonsense. A similar thing happens (at least in Canada) for showing films in public: you get a license from a clearinghouse to be able to show x number of films over the duration of a year, and then you can show your own copy or rent a copy from the clearinghouse of the film you want to show.
'Star Wars' is not the frickin' Mona Lisa; there isn't just one copy, owned by Lucas, sitting in a vault someplace. It is a commercial work, from which George Lucas has made more money than God. I would agree that he has the exclusive right (under the monopoly that is copyright) to never sell copies of the 1977 film anymore, but I don't believe copyright alone should be enough to prevent public exhibition of something you own, as long as all the statutory licensing fees are paid.