Alan Doyle, O'Reilly's pub and live streaming...

O’Reilly’s Pub@oreillys_pub It’s the worst kept secret in town. @alanthomasdoyle is onstage at @oreillys_pub 7pm! You can watch live…11 December 2014

Technology never ceases to amaze me. It is about 6.30 a.m and a tweet has been circulated that Alan Doyle will be performing live at O’Reilly’s pub in St John’s in about half an hour. It’s early morning and I am sitting at my computer in Australia eating my breakfast watching and listening to some great music and the good people of St. John’s having a great time dancing, singing and drinking the night away. Even though I was in Australia, the vantage point of the camera made me feel included in this small intimate show. I of course would have rather been there, but as I can’t this was the next best thing. The band was on fire singing some Alan Doyle Band and Great Big songs. Alan Doyle always the storyteller told the story of how he met his band members Cory and Kendal.

I also love the way the good people of St. John's and Newfoundland were not shy about getting up on stage and singing a song for us. Many thanks to Alan Doyle, his band, O’Reilly’s pub and the good people of St. John’s for allowing us, the world and Australia to party with them on this Wednesday night, via technology. It was a grand night (well morning here) indeed.

O'Reilly's Pub Now this is something special. Fergus O'Byrne, Mannying 77 and more joining Alanthomasdoyle onstage at O'Reilly's_pub 10 December 2014 (from Twitter no copyright infringement intended).

Copyright revisited...

Copyright and fair usage revisited…

“Demonstrating respect for intellectual property is legally and ethically the right thing to do…” Copyright Clearance Centre YouTube Video

I am kind of surprised at how many people don’t understand, nor really care about copyright and fair usage when viewing video materials online. Yet they claim to be some of the biggest lovers of the work created around. So I went looking on YouTube for some videos that tell the story of copyright and fair usage in an interesting way and a way that written material doesn’t. I found some fun and interesting videos made by credible organisations. I was also surprised at how many people are interested in copyright and doing the right thing by the number of hits on each video.  

Obviously each social media site has its own rules and regulations concerning copyright on content and as users it is our responsibility to find out about how it will affect the content we use, create and display. I began by watching copyright videos made by YouTube, including YouTube Copyright Basics (Global), YouTube Copyright Basics and YouTube Copyright School. The videos created by YouTube state to me YouTube doesn’t take copyright seriously. Nor are they interested in explaining copyright to its users, nor do they have a clear perception of what copyright and fair usage is. To me, YouTube seems to treat copyright as a bit of a joke and a boring topic and as a consequence perpetuate ignorance and bad digital citizenship among it’s users. I therefore understand how YouTube users can have problems with the content they watch and distribute even though their hearts may be in the right places when it comes to using, creating and distributing content.

@Lyndahere is a career  bootlegger and pirate who copies other people’s creative work and content without their permission, changes content, makes derivative works and distributes content whether the legal content owners want it or not. @Lyndahere has frequently complained on Twitter and Facebook about people using ‘her work’. A couple of days ago she wrote a response to a comment made by mic.com about Facebook and copyright “That Facebook ‘Copyright Protection’ Message is Garbage so ‘Stop Posting It’. She responded by writing “Put succinctly, FB is a big dickhead who can use your info and what you post whether you want to or not. And the only way to keep FB from doing that is not to be on FB.”  On the one hand it seems alright for her do what she wants in regard to other people’s content, but not alright for other people to take her content and use it how they want.  

On the 6 November, 2014 @Lyndahere recorded and distributed links to a pirated copy of a CBC Canada segment via Facebook and Twitter.  Despite the fact she knew there was a legal copy immediately after, she let the post remain and has continued to collect hits for her YouTube site Between the Rock. She collected over 3000 hits that technically belonged to CBC Canada for content she did not create nor had permission to distribute. @Lyndahere knew the comments on her Facebook page that said the video could not be seen legally outside of Canada were not true. She acknowledged this on Twitter and circulated a legal copy. She did nothing to edit them, remove them or the pirated report. Nor has she distributed a link to the legal content on Facebook. In these circumstances she used Facebook in to her own advantage.

On her Facebook page she wrote on the 6 November 2014 “Alan post this link for an online clip and Rick Mercer’s Petty Harbour fishing (and eating and singing) trip for CBC’s Rick Mercer Report.

It’s gorgeous…and only can be seen inside Canada (and provided the link).  

Slightly less gorgeous – but considerably more accessible to all – is this recorded-from-the- broadcast (sorry, non-HD) version (and provided the link).

Canadians – Be smart (an as Alan’s Mom would say Be Good) and watch the CBC clip Alan shared. Not only is the quality better, the website traffic should go to CBC from the people CBC is letting see the clip”.

I hope some of these videos on YouTube help people understand copyright and fair usage.

In a video Copyright Basics (a link is provided below) created by the Copyright Clearance Center in the United States explain how copyright is automatic when a work is captured in a fix format either written down or recorded and are protected by copyright law. The copyright holders have the exclusive right to perform, display, copy, distribute and create derivative works.

Copyright Is...: http://youtu.be/8J7styDOUwY

Copyright Basics: http://youtu.be/Uiq42O6rhW4

 

In certain circumstances people do not require the copyright holder’s permission to use the work. People can use the work for parody, news reporting, commentary, scholarly research, and education. Under fair usage there are four factors which need to be taken into consideration when using a work. These are

·         the purpose and character of the use,

·         the nature of the copyrighted work,

·         the amount and substantial of the   work and

·         the effect of the use on the marketability of the work. 

The Copyright Clearance Centre argues most people do not intentionally violate copyright and do it as they go about their daily activities. Copyright does matter because it is the law and it is unlawful to infringe on the copyright holders rights, it’s ethical to demonstrate respect for the copyright holder’s rights and is the right thing to do and the royalties we pay enable more work to be created.  

The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Videos by the Centre For Media and Social Input at the School of Communication at the American University in Washington DC is an interesting video that explains fair usage in a video remix culture and creativity.

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Vid…: http://youtu.be/N-jsOrOVzG4

There are situations where fair usage for online video users and outlines them in online usage. They provide situations where fair usage is acceptable. They are

·         comment and critiquing on copyrighted material,

·         using copyrighted material for illustration and example,

·         copying copyrighted material incidentally or accidentally,

·         reproducing, reposting, or quoting in order to memorialize, preserve, or rescue an experience, an event, or a cultural phenomenon, 

·         copying, restoring, and recirculating a work or part of a work for purposes of launching a discussion 

·         quoting in order to recombine elements to make a new work that depends for its meaning on (often unlikely) relationships between the elements.

What was interesting about reading the categories of fair usage was their limitations. The authors of the video state “this code of practice is not a blank check for copyright. To be within copyright, the work needs to be transformative, the amount that is copied is used in proportion to the purpose and always give credit to your sources”.

References

Center For Media and Social Impact (2008). Code of Best Practices in Fair Use For Online Video. at hhtp://ww.cmsimpact.org

Copyright Clearance Center (2010) Copyright Basics at http://youtu.be/Uiq4206rhW4

Copyright Clearance Centre (2012) Copyright is… http://youtu.be/8J7styDOUwy

YouTube Copyright Basics (Global) (2013) available on YouTube

"I love Newfoundland...Just sayin' . " Russell Crowe

“I love Newfoundland…Just sayin’ .Wish I could be here longer. ” Russell Crowe on Twitter.

I have got to love a slow news day in Canada and Newfoundland when journalists resort to Twitter to write stories about our boys Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Allan Hawco.

Today as many fans who follow Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Allan Hawco on Twitter know, Russell made a very brief stopover in Gander, Newfoundland on his way back from London, England. He made a point of telling us he was disappointed his friends didn’t rush up to meet him. If Russell really wanted to meet up with his friends, he could have taken a direct flight from London to St John’s and then on to where ever he was going next. It is also expensive to fly to Gander.

This stop over has made the news in Canada and their banter trended on Twitter. Today CBC in Newfoundland tweeted that this was the most- read article yesterday. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an Indoor Garden Party announced soon, somewhere in America for the boys and fans to catch up.

The tweets from the official accounts of Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Allan Hawco were removed from the article. They are available on their accounts.

"Can't believe  @alanthomasdoyle and @allanhawco  didn't drive 4 hours to meet me in Gander. Guess" I'm partying alone Dec 7 (from Russell Crowe's official Twitter account. No copyright infringement intended)

Actor Russell Crowe stood up in Gander by Newfoundland friends.

CBC News Posted: Dec 07, 2014 2:45 PM NT Last Updated: Dec 07, 2014 9:40 PM NT (no copyright infringement intended)

While on his way back from Europe actor Russell Crowe made a stop in Gander Sunday, and according to him, he gave his Newfoundland friends Allan Hawco and Alan Doyle ample warning that he was coming.

Crowe told his more than 1.6-million followers on Twitter that his duo of Al(l)an friends stood him up, and because of that Crowe had to "party" in Gander alone.

"Following the example of @alanthomasdoyle on his book tour, I shall be making a personal appearance in Gander, Newfoundland, at 7 a.m.," Crowe tweeted.

Crowe was flying over Newfoundland on his way back from London, England.

Crowe landed at Gander International Airport at about 7 a.m. Sunday, and to his disappointment neither Hawco nor Doyle were waiting.

Crowe posted a very lonesome-looking selfie with the sarcastic tweet, "Battling through the crowds for my public appearance in Gander, Newfoundland."

He followed that up with another selfie and tweet reading, "Guess I'm partying alone."

Though it wasn't long after—perhaps when Doyle and Hawco were waking up—​that they began to realize the party they were missing out on.

Alan Doyle tweeted back "@russellcrowe @allanhawco hawk...fire up the GTO. We've got fish cakes to deliver."

The exchange between Crowe, Hawco and Doyle was liked and retweeted thousands of times. So much so that it was trending on social media for some time.

And even though the back-and-forth between the three got quite the hype in the Twittersphere, that wasn't enough for Crowe, who likely missed out on a few beers with some old friends, and instead had to settle for a cup of coffee.

Crowe was in Gander, partying by himself, for all of 43 minutes.

"I love Newfoundland... just sayin'. Wish I could be here longer," and "Leaving Gander. Thanks for everything," were his parting tweets.

Let's make a movie. Murray Foster and The Cocksure Lads movie...

During the Great Big Sea hiatus band member Murray Foster made a movie called The Cocksure Lads. When Murray Foster announced on social media he needed the fan’s help to make his movie happen, many Great Big Sea fans jumped on board for the ride.

Tonight is the world premiere of The Cocksure Lads at the Whistler Film Festival. I am sure there are a lot of excited fans who wish Murray all the best with the movie. We look forward to seeing it soon. Watching the making of this movie on social media, from the initial call for fans assistance for financing, through to fan's meet and greets, the filming on the streets of Toronto with the stars, to the final editing definitely has been a labour of love for Murray, his cast and crew and the fans alike. It is inspiring to see creative ideas turn into reality. If we really do have a dream to do something, then we should go for it. The movie was funded with assistance from the Kickstarter program.

So what is The Cocksure Lads movie about for those fans who don’t already know ? The IMDb 2014 provides an overview of the film and those involved “The Cocksure Lads arrive in Toronto on the morning of their first American tour. They head to the venue, get into a fist fight and breakup within 10 minutes. The four Lads scatter and spend the rest of the day wandering around town getting into misadventure –drinking, fighting, meeting women, taking baths, getting thrown out of pubs, having sex and falling in love. Through the course of this misadventure they discover what it means to be in a band. But can they patch things up before the big show?”(IMDb 2014). There are guest appearances by Canadian musicians Alan Doyle and Kendal Carson. 

For more information about the movie and screenings visit the Cocksure Lads webpage at www.thecocksurelads.com. 

Below is an interview Murray did recently with the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

A 20 –year labour of love, The Cocksure Lads blindsided by scandal by Marsha Leederman Whistler, B.C – The Globe and Mail published on Dec 05, 2014. (no copyright infringement intended).

Imagine that you’ve been chasing an artistic dream for nearly 25 years; that you’re weeks away from realizing it with the world premiere of your film.

It’s a labour of love that started as a joke – a couple of lines of lyric scribbled down back in 1990 that evolved into a collection of songs and even the creation of a fake band around the idea – and now this, your first feature.

Now imagine that as you’re nearing completion of the project, you’re dragged from the editing room by an explosive scandal involving your very old friend and former band mate.

“I lost a week of productivity. I couldn’t focus on anything else,” says Murray Foster, who started his first band with Jian Ghomeshi when they were in Grade 7; the two were later part of the popular satirical band Moxy Fruvous. “I was too upset and too disturbed, too fixated. It was a very busy time in postproduction and I couldn’t afford to miss a week. But I did.”

Foster is telling the story of The Cocksure Lads Movie over breakfast in Whistler, B.C., where his film is having its world premiere Saturday at the Whistler Film Festival.

It’s mostly a great story: the creation of a fake British Invasion-type band, and actual songs to go with it – a loving send-up.

It was in Moxy Fruvous’s first year that Foster came up with those jokey lyrics (“When your best girl says she loves you; when your hair looks like it should”), leading to a years-long writing project with band mate Mike Ford.

“Eventually we had all these songs [and thought], ‘Is there a band that plays these songs? Whose songs are these?’ That became the Cocksure Lads.” Satisfying their own curiosity about who the lads were, Foster and Ford developed a back story – their rise and fall in the 1960s through to the scandalous collapse of lead singer Dusty’s political career in the 1990s.

By 2010 they had about 25 songs, but energy for the project was waning. “I realized that if we did nothing, it would just sort of float away,” Foster says. “So I said let’s go into the studio and record some of these songs, even if this CD just turns out to be a gravestone marking this amazing idea. We kind of owe it to the Cocksure Lads to record these songs; this 20-year love affair we’ve had with this fake band.”

That recording – The Greatest Hits of the Cocksure Lads (1963-1968) – reinvigorated the project and sparked the idea for a feature film à la A Hard Day’s Night.

The Cocksure Lads Movie – with four brilliantly cast actors you’ve never heard of as the lads and nary a fake accent in sight (they’re all British or British-born) – was shot last spring. Set in the present day, it’s the madcap story of the lads’ North American debut in Toronto, which begins to go sideways from nearly the moment they lay eyes on the CN Tower.

As the film neared completion, Foster was sidelined by the Ghomeshi scandal. (Incidentally Ghomeshi is credited on two songs used in the film.)

“All I did for a week was sit at my laptop and read, like I think everyone else in Canada did; I was as engrossed as everyone else. And then that kind of lifted after about a week. But it was quite hard, for sure. I talked to people who were crying all the time – my friends, and my band mates,” Foster says.

The fog has cleared and Foster is proud of his film. He’s also working on turning the concept into a TV series.

As for Ghomeshi, Foster says he and the band were “stunned” and had “absolutely no inkling” prior to the allegations being made public.

“I still love Moxy Fruvous and I always will, but there is an element of this tinting the memories a little bit. And that’s sad,” Foster says. “But it was still a magical time for me and I think for the other guys as well.”

The Cocksure Lads Movie has its world premiere at the Whistler Film Festive on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

“War film suitable for kids says Crowe”…a response…

Russell Crowe has been promoting his new film The Water Diviner in Australia. Recently Russell has come out and said that the film is suitable for children. In an article by new.com.au titled “War film suitable for kids” Russell Crowe discusses how children should not be ‘spared the brutal truths of war’. As a parent he has allowed his children Tennyson and Charlie aged around 8 and 10 years old to see the film and attend the world premiere in Sydney tonight.

In Australia children learn about the ANZAC tradition from a very early age. Most schools in Australia are involved in some form of ANZAC service around April 25 to remember the sacrifice made by Australian soldiers and others in all wars. Thousands of families and their children attend services on April 25 including Russell Crowe and his children. Australia at war, Gallipoli, the ANZAC traditions and the sacrifices the soldiers and others have made in all wars is embedded into the Australian Curriculum and taught to children in primary and high school in a way that is appropriate to their age and development. There are lots of resources about Gallipoli produced to help parents and teachers to help children learn about conflicts and wars like this one.

As a parent it is Russell Crowe’s right (in consultation with their mother Danielle) to choose what television and movie content is appropriate for their children. However, Russell Crowe did not mention the Australian film classification board have chosen to label the film M for mature audiences. The M for mature audiences is one of three unrestricted classifications. The other two are G for general admission and PG for parental guidance needed.

The Australian film classification board states about M film classification “Films and computer games classified M (for mature) contain content of  moderate impact and are recommended for children 15 years and over…children 15 years and under can legally access this material because it is an advisory category. However, M classification films and computer games may include moderate impact that is not recommended for children under 15 years. Parents and guardians need to find out more about the film’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child .”

And therefore the decision as to whether children should see this film should be ultimately left up to parents.

(from panmacmillian.com.au No copyright infringement intended)

“War film suitable for kids” Crowe at news.com.au published on 2 December 2014.

CHILDREN should not be spared from the brutal truths of war, according to Russell Crowe, who is taking his two young sons to the world premiere of his directorial debut in Sydney on Tuesday night.

The Water Diviner which tells the story of a father (Crowe) who travels to Gallipoli after the war to properly bury his three sons, includes a number of graphic battlefield flashbacks.

“It’s definitely a film that you take your kids to,” said Crowe who won a Best Actor for his role in Gladitor, on Monday.

“Yeah, it’s heavy. Grief is going to be emotionally heavy. But sex wise there is no nudity and there is no swearing.

“So you have got the space within that to allow them to learn something a little bit.”

Crowe’s youngest son, eight-year-old Tennyson, has already had a private viewing of the film, which stars former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney(Terminator: Genisys), Ryan Corr, Jacqueline McKenzie and Turkish actor Yılmaz Erdoğan, all of whom are scheduled to attend Tuesday night’s State Theatre premiere.

“You might think it’s a tough lesson but he had a very romantic view point about war,’’ says Crowe, who describes The Water Diviner as “unashamedly anti-war”.

On Tuesday night, Tennyson will see the film again, this time accompanied by brother Charles, who has only seen excerpts.

“So often, we romanticise what things mean. We take big words like sacrifice and we have no real detail,’’ says Crowe.

“There’s a moment in the film where the two brothers are lying in the battlefield. The camera descends down to where they are and you can hear hundreds of voices in that no man’s land between the two trenches calling out for their mother, for water, for God.

“That’s the reality.”

After screening the film in Melbourne on Wednesday night in another red-carpet premiere, Crowe and Kurylenko, who plays a Turkish widow, and Erdogan will travel to Turkey to introduce the film there.

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the battle of Gallipoli, Crowe felt it was important to canvas both sides of the story.

“To me the level of respect the Turkish have shown us far outweighs what we have reciprocated with,’’ he said.

“Our boys still lie in their soil, in marked graves, in an area that they have decided is a national park.”

 For Crowe, it’s important to redress the imbalance, even in small ways.

“Small things can have great resonance. We should be teaching our children that when we say Gallipoli, the Turks say Canakkale, for instance.

“Those two words should be completely connected. It’s not a big thing but but it’s the beginning of a reciprocation of respect.”

Catching up with Republic of Doyle on YouTube…

I am not feeling too sympathetic towards CBC Canada at the moment. I am an overseas fan of their show Republic of Doyle. We are in the final season. Fair enough I didn’t expect to see the up and coming episode titled ‘When The Whistle Blows’ with Alan Doyle and Scott Grimes returning as Wolf and Jimmy when shown and is blocked in my country. Republic of Doyle isn’t on Google Play, my preferred methods of buying digital content (due to the absence of country barriers) and only available it seems on ITunes. (I am not sure if the content is available in my country as Season Five is being shown on pay TV). So I went looking for the Republic of Doyle on YouTube to play catch up and see what I could find.

And there Republic of Doyle was in full seasons and episodes diligently recorded by loving pirates available for viewing, in direct competition to ITunes, other pay television content and even a site that looks like the official Republic of Doyle social media sites. What is a fan to do? Buy or watch for free? Even the latest Season Six had been recorded week by week and there was not a DCMA copyright notice in sight. So I am not feeling too much sympathy or the love for CBC Canada right now when they choose to block viewers watching content overseas on their site and then allow pirates to record content and go unchecked. Why should I do the right thing and pay for television content when CBC Canada doesn’t care?

I love Republic of Doyle. I love the amazingly talented, creative and very proud Newfoundlander Allan Hawco. I love the Republic of Doyle’s brilliant and talented cast. I love how the television show presents the exquisite city of St John’s, Newfoundland. I am continually amazed at how many beautiful sunny days they found in St John’s and Newfoundland to film. After six successful seasons I certainly can understand why someone like Allan Hawco and perhaps the cast and crew would want to move onto other projects. Of course all their fans thank them for the hours of enjoyment they have brought to our lives and wish them well.

Being a fan of a television show like Republic of Doyle in another country other than Canada provides viewing difficulties. The preferable place to watch content is on the CBC Republic of Doyle webpage episodes where hits count for something and let the organisation know many people love this show, even in it’s last season. The second choice is to buy legal content on places like ITunes and pretty soon after the episode is watched in its country of origin. I didn’t know until recently the content was available from ITunes including, the most recent episodes, but I am still not sure if this content is available overseas in my country.

The next stop is YouTube. Pirates who film illegal content like television shows and place it on YouTube themselves make content difficult to find by failing to label their illegal recordings properly. Many pirates who illegally record television shows quickly have DCMA notices slapped on them by the legal copyright holders and brought down. Pirates have posted advertisements on YouTube sites stating the content has been moved to webpages which allow interested viewers to download and watch content and pirates to collect revenue from advertising. Alternatively pirates escape the DCMA notices by only recording part of the program, mixing it up with other series content.

Then there are people who advertise content that contain within it a catch in that they direct people to online streaming through Fox2hd television giving them 14 days free trial. They require fans not only to log onto sites, but also to give details such as credit cards even though they wont be charged. Why take credit card details when customers might not like the service offered? Sounds like a right out scam to me when customers have to give over their personal details for something for free. It has taken a couple of days, but finally this episode is being loaded up onto YouTube. There are the opportunistic pirates who record content and load it up. Then there are the diligent pirates who record the show week after week and  have their loyal subscribers. These latest episodes seem to have attracted advertising. 

I have just found a recent copy loaded up onto YouTube about an hour ago as I researched this post. There is a site on YouTube called Republic of Doyle and is consistent with the official social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. The site was created at the beginning of the Season Six on October 15 2014. It has recorded all the episodes for this season. While it is great for a site to put content up so quickly, if it is an official site, it was particularly annoying to watch the episode in a smaller screen and the words Republic of Doyle written across the top of the screen. It is kind of insulting that someone who designed this site doesn’t think I can remember the name of the television show I am watching. Perhaps, it is there to make fans feel so annoyed and uncomfortable when watching that they would go to the official Republic of Doyle site at CBC Canada. I originally chose this site on YouTube to watch this one episode, giving them the benefit of doubt.

After this discovery I am left wondering three things. The first one is why isn’t CBC Canada more vigilant when hunting pirates of its content to the same extend some US television shows are? And the second reason is why should I care about their content if they don’t? The third reason is why are they not regularly searching for pirates on YouTube when television shows like Republic of Doyle are still being sold to pay television syndicates in places like Australia and the United Kingdom for programming. So I am left thinking if television shows are going to compete with pirates at their own game and collect any kind of revenue they can in places like YouTube they should set up then own official sites or pirates will.

The Jimmy and Wolf episodes are my favourites. Wolf is looking really hot with the long hair, full on beard and a thick Newfoundlander accent. Jake Doyle was gorgeous too, as the man who found out he was being scammed by a girl claiming to be his daughter. It is a shame they are both fictional characters in a television series. St John's was spectacular as always. Now, that's real. I have in the past bought four seasons of Republic of Doyle on DVD.

From the official Republic of Doyle Twitter Account "Sweet Baby Jesus, give me strength..." #doyletweets (No copyright infringement intended).


From Torrent Freak…"IIPA: Canada is a magnet for “rogue” sites and persistent pirates". By Ernesto on February 10 2014 (no copyright infringement intended).

The MPAA, RIAA and other entertainment industry groups are calling out Canada for its lack of effective anti-piracy enforcement. The groups label Canada a magnet for pirate sites and also want Internet providers to punish subscribers who repeatedly download copyright-infringing content.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) has just published its latest submission to the U.S. Government, providing an overview of countries it believes should better protect the interests of the copyright industry.

The IIPA, which includes a wide range of copyright groups including the MPAA, RIAA, BSA and ESA, has listed its complaints against a whole host of countries. As in previous years, Canada was discussed in detail with the recommendation to put it on the 2014 Special 301 ‘watch list’.

One of the main grievances against Canada is that the country offers a home to many sites which the copyright industries label as “rogue” businesses. This includes the recently shut down isohunt.com as well as other popular torrent sites such as torrentz.eu and kickass.to.

“Even after the shuttering of Isohunt, Canada is still the home to some of the world’s most popular Internet sites dedicated to piracy, including torrentz.eu and kickass.to, which garnered rankings of third and second place, respectively, on one of the most widely accessed listings of the world’s most popular illicit BitTorrent sites,” IIPA writes.

The copyright holders further mention the linking sites cuevana.tv, free-tv-video-online.me, and solarmovie.so as having Canadian connections, as well as the smaller torrent sites fenopy.se and monova.org. Without proper enforcement action against them, Canada remains very attractive to these allegedly infringing sites, they claim.

“It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Canada remains a magnet for sites whose well-understood raison d’être is to facilitate and enable massive unauthorized downloading of pirated versions of feature films, TV shows, recorded music, entertainment software, and other copyright materials,” IIPA writes.

“The largest of these Canadian-hosted sites attract scores of millions of unique visitors every month, and their corrosive effects on legitimate markets are felt worldwide,” they add.

The United States should encourage Canada to take action against these sites, the industry groups recommend. Without proper action the country will not just remain a safe haven for infringing websites, but also a breeding ground for new generations of Internet pirates.

According to the IIPA, current policies have resulted in widespread piracy among Canadian Internet users, with instances twice as frequent as in the United States. “In this environment, it is not surprising that Canadians continue to demonstrate a formidable propensity to patronize illegal online sources of copyright material, thus stunting the availability and growth of legal alternatives,” IIPA writes. “A report released in September 2012 found that, on a per-capita basis, Canadians download more unauthorized music than residents of any other country, and two-and-one-half times as much as Americans,” the groups add.

“Canadians continue to demonstrate a formidable propensity to patronize illegal online sources of copyright material, thus stunting the availability and growth of legal alternatives.”

The industry groups further recommend that Internet providers should partner with copyright holders to tackle the ongoing piracy problems. While some ISPs already forward infringement notices to their customers, they note that repeated infringers go unpunished.

Due to this “glaring weakness” the current copyright infringement warnings sent out by some ISPs are not believed to be very effective.

“Although more and more notices of infringement are sent by right holders and forwarded by service providers to their customers each year, the providers do not even correlate the notices with individual subscribers to know which are repeat infringers,” IIPA writes.

“To treat the first-time violator identically with the serial offender jeopardizes any deterrent effect the notices might otherwise achieve,” they add.

The groups recommend that the U.S. Government urges Canada to implement “strong legal incentives” for local ISPs to take action against these persistent pirates by teaming up with copyright holders.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg for Canada. Among other things, the groups also call for stronger border protections and hefty jail sentences for copyright infringers. This is not the first time that Canada has been called out on copyright. Based on similar recommendations the U.S. Government has placed its northern neighbor on the intellectual property watch-list for several years in a row.

The IIPA’s full 2014 Special 301 recommendation report is available here. This also includes assessments from more than two dozen other countries, including Argentina, Brazil, China, Italy, Russia, Spain and Switzerland.

Sean McCann Sings at the Ship...

I would love to see Sean McCann sing at The Ship in St. John's Newfoundland next week. For those of you like me who can't make it due to geographical location, I have included links to some of the videos I mentioned in previous posts from the most recent shows Sean did across Canada. I will think you will agree he is in brilliant form performing solo, with a few friends or fans who join him on stage.

Some of these videos were retweeted by Sean McCann on Twitter.










 

Jordan Thomas Brewer

Séan McCann - Wish You Well [Live at C'est What S…: http://youtu.be/sT2VUk7W_f4

Séan McCann - Live This Life [Live at C'est What …: http://youtu.be/3Z6BdWI3-pc

Séan McCann & Murray Foster - Safe Upon The Shore…: http://youtu.be/94yUXtZ9muA

Helen Gilbert

Sean McCann, Spirit In The Sky: http://youtu.be/Kj4AKIP9Yps

Sean McCann Help Yourself: http://youtu.be/D3B_6bALdqI

Sean McCann, England, Live: http://youtu.be/iBQruVskXKc

Sean McCann ~ Turn: http://youtu.be/XkSXRFmWbec

Sean McCann & Murray Foster Safe upon the Shore: http://youtu.be/GIo2jQhqmLY

Sean McCann ~ Follow Me Up To Carlow & When Will …: http://youtu.be/fYdjfMml7XI