Competition Bureau updates IP enforcement guidelines

The Competition Bureau has updated its Intellectual Property Enforcement Guidelines, as part of what it said in a Thursday press release would be an annual review.

Google can appeal B.C. court’s worldwide injuction: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday it has granted Google Inc. leave to appeal a B.C. court decision that issued an injuction stopping Google from linking to a company in its search results.

The case began when the plaintiffs, Equustek Solutions Inc. and Robert Angus of Clarma Enterprises Inc., sued their former distributor for “unlawful appropriation of trade secrets, alleging that the distributors designed and sold counterfeit versions of their products,” according to a summary on the Supreme Court website.

Intellectual property law changes stymie TPP support: survey

Canadians are less likely to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) if it changes Canadian copyright laws, suggested a survey on the free-trade agreement scheduled to be signed today in New Zealand.

Canada to sign TPP, but not necessarily ratify it: Freeland

A statement made Monday by International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland confirmed that Canada is going to sign onto the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) when the TPP group meets next week. 

SOCAN says revenue collection surpassed $300M last year

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) said Monday that the amount of revenue it collected last year surpassed $300 million for the first time ever.

It said in a press release that it collected about $310 million last year, according to an early analysis, up three per cent from $299 million in 2014.

Copyright term extension necessary for investment: Music publishers

OTTAWA — Extending copyright terms from 50 to 70 years after the death of the author is necessary to boost investment in creative industries, Robert Hutton, executive director of the Canadian Music Publishers Association, argued Tuesday.

Eric Baptiste gets extension at SOCAN

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has granted Eric Baptiste another five-year term as CEO.

SOCAN said in a press release that the reappointment will extend Baptiste's tenure with the group until 2021. SOCAN spokesman Andrew Berthoff said in an email that the next term goes from May 2016 to May 2021.

Distant TV signals losing value, service providers say

OTTAWA — Canada's major TV service providers argued before the Copyright Board of Canada on Monday that they should pay less for distant-TV signals because these channels are losing value as more viewing options become available to consumers.

It was the fifth day of a hearing scheduled to last until Friday, along with final arguments slated for Jan. 26 and 27.

David Purdy to leave Rogers

OTTAWA — David Purdy, senior vice-president of content at Rogers Communications Inc., said Monday that he will leave the company and that an official announcement will be issued later this week.

Purdy told the Copyright Board of Canada, during a hearing to set the royalty rates that TV service providers pay for distant-TV signals, that he has accepted a new job with a "next-generation" media company that's based in New York and has some operations in Canada.

Rights holders seek to double royalties for distant TV signals

OTTAWA — Rights holders of programming shown over distant TV signals are seeking to at least double the amount of money they receive from TV service providers, on a per subscriber basis, for providing that content to their customers.

A hearing before the Copyright Board of Canada — scheduled to run two weeks with final arguments in January on top of that — got underway on Tuesday. 

Telus, Cogeco challenge Bell appeal of wholesale code

Telus Corp. and Cogeco Cable Inc. have filed their opposition to BCE Inc.'s attempt to fight, before the Federal Court of Appeal, the CRTC's wholesale code governing relationships between television stations and TV-service providers.

Quebec introduces website-blocking legislation

The Quebec government has introduced legislation that would require Internet service providers (ISPs) to block some online gambling websites.

“The Société des loteries du Québec shall oversee the accessibility of online gambling. It shall draw up a list of unauthorized online gambling sites and provide the list to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, which shall send it to Internet service providers by registered mail,” Bill 74, introduced Thursday, stipulates.

News website awarded $13K-plus for paywall breach

An Ottawa-based subscription news website covering federal matters has been awarded $13,400 plus interest after the subject of one its articles was found to have breached copyright by obtaining a copy of the story without paying a subscription fee.

A small-claims court on Oct. 16 awarded Blacklock's Reporter $11,470 in damages, plus interest, as well as $2,000 in punitive damages to be paid by the Canadian Vintners Association, which represents wine producers across Canada.

CMPA partners with RightsTrade

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) has reached an agreement with online TV and film rights marketplace RightsTrade that will give CMPA members “preferred access” to RightsTrade sales tools, marketplace and marketing support.

CMPA vice-president of outreach and strategic initiatives Marguerite Pigott said in a press release Monday that the RightsTrade platform “is a great tool for our members to better exploit their content rights on the global stage.”

TPP text shows ‘positive change’ regarding Internet blocking: Geist

The full text of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, published Thursday by the government of New Zealand, shows that the agreement will place limits on rules around blocking Internet content, according to University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist.

MPAA says Popcorn Time shut down by court

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said Tuesday that it has shut down the Canadian-based video-streaming site Popcorn Time through a court injunction.

The MPAA said in a news release Tuesday that it has obtained an injunction through the Federal Court of Canada to shut down Popcorntime.io, which has claimed to be the "official" Popcorn Time site. The MPAA said this site saw 1.5 million unique visitors in July, citing data from ComScore Inc.

Bell asks court for permission to appeal Wholesale Code

BCE Inc. is again turning to the courts over a CRTC decision, this time asking the Federal Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the CRTC’s Wholesale Code.

In documents filed Thursday, Bell argued that the code violates both the Copyright Act and the Broadcasting Act because its purpose is to govern the commercial arrangement between broadcasters and broadcast distributors.

TPP includes provisions for ISPs to block content: WikiLeaks

Online information leaker WikiLeaks published on Friday what it said were parts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that reveal provisions for Internet service providers to block access to content subject to copyright restrictions.

NDP gets A-, Conservatives get D+ in OpenMedia ‘report card’

Internet advocacy group OpenMedia released a “report card” Thursday ranking the federal parties’ digital policies ahead of the election, in which the NDP received an overall grade of A- while the Liberals had a C and the Conservatives a D+.

TPP ‘consistent’ with Canadian copyright law, government says

Details about provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement that could affect Canada’s media and telecom industries remained scant Monday as the government announced the conclusion of the agreement, though officials said the agreement would not put new constraints on the cultural sector and is “fully consistent” with current Canadian copyright law.

Tyson Parker to run music relations at Bell Media

Tyson Parker has been named head of artist and music industry relations at BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division, the company said Monday.

PIAC launches complaint against Videotron music service

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is asking the CRTC to direct Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to change the price structure of its new music service, which exempts data consumed through some music streaming apps from data caps.

Videotron “favours its own mobile service by making it more attractive and less expensive to use at the expense of all other [Internet] use and in particular any other non-covered audio content, streamed or otherwise,” PIAC said in a Part 1 complaint filed Tuesday.

CBC sued for using U.S. YouTube video of storm: report

CBC/Radio-Canada is being sued by a resident of Buffalo, N.Y., for allegedly using a video he posted on YouTube without his permission, according to a report from the Canadian Press.

An article appearing online Thursday said the suit from Alfonzo Cutaia accused CBC of obtaining the video from Time Warner Inc.'s CNN, which is also named in the suit, and putting it on CBC's website with a CBC logo. Cutaia said CBC also uploaded the video to Yahoo Inc.'s Screen website, according to the report.

NFL says CRTC gave no notice Super Bowl SimSub was on the table

The National Football League (NFL) said in court documents Tuesday that it did not participate in the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV review because the regulator did not give notice that it was considering eliminating simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl.

TekSavvy files appeal for cost order in Voltage case

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is appealing a cost award in a dispute over filesharing with Voltage Pictures LLC.

NFL seeks to intervene in Super Bowl simsub appeal

The National Football League has filed for permission to be an intervener in BCE Inc.'s appeal against the CRTC's decision to start banning simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl.

A motion filed by the NFL with the Federal Court of Appeal this week said it has a direct financial interest in this matter. The partially redacted filing said it entered an agreement in 2010 with Bell's CTV network to provide Super Bowl coverage in Canada, and that agreement was updated and extended in 2013.

Johanne Bélisle appointed CEO of CIPO

Industry Minister James Moore announced Friday the appointment of Johanne Bélisle as the next CEO of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

Bélisle has been the assistant deputy minister for various departments for the Quebec region since 2007, and currently is the Quebec region's assistant deputy minister for employment and social development Canada, Industry Canada said in a press release.

Music-streaming revenue rose sixfold last year: SOCAN

Music-streaming revenue reported by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) increased from $3.4 million in 2013 to $21.3 million in 2014, the organization said in a press release Tuesday.

Its total revenue was up 8.4 per cent to $299.5 million, and it distributed $241 million to its members, it said.

Peter Steinmetz appointed new Re:Sound chairman

Peter Steinmetz is the new chairman of Re:Sound Music Licensing Co.’s board of directors, the organization said Wednesday.

The organization, which is the copyright collective representing musical artists and labels in Canada, said Steinmetz, an entertainment lawyer, has previously served on the board of directors at a number of organizations, including as president of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and as chairman of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Robert Blair appointed new Copyright Board chairman

Industry Canada announced Wednesday the new appointment of Robert Blair as the new chairman of the Copyright Board of Canada.

Blair was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in November 2003 and served for 12 years as a trial judge, Industry Canada said in a press release. He has presided over multiple matters with a particular focus on commercial cases, working out of Toronto, it added.

DHX expands licensing service to more countries

DHX Media Ltd. announced Tuesday that its full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG), will expand business offices to the Middle East, Turkey and Greece.

The company said in a press release that offices are planned to open in Dubai and Athens. CPLG will partner with FWD Branding Ltd. and License2Brand to create CPLG Middle East, North Africa (CPLG MENA) and CPLG Turkey and Greece, respectively, the release stated.

Is illegal downloading declining in Canada?

Copyright-enforcement company CEG TEK International said recently that it’s seen a significant fall in the piracy of its clients’ content in Canada over the past few months, which it attributes to the inclusion of settlement demands in its copyright infringement notices.

CEG TEK was cited in a press release from a group called the Internet Security Task Force last week as saying peer-to-peer piracy of content owned by its 125 clients dropped among the five largest Internet service providers (ISPs) in Canada over the past 13 weeks.

Spotify adds video content

Music streaming provider Spotify AB said Wednesday that it has added video to its offerings, along with several other features.

"We know there are times in the day you want to switch between music to catch up on the latest news, listen to your favourite podcast or simply watch something fun," Spotify said in blog post Wednesday. "And with a stellar range of entertainment to choose from, there’s something for everyone. Spotify will suggest video and audio shows for you to watch and learn what you love."

U.S. channel carried in Canada against its will

A U.S. affiliate of ABC has been denied by the CRTC its request to be removed from the list of non-Canadian television channels approved for distribution in Canada.

The commission turned down an application from Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. to have KSTP-TV Minneapolis removed from the list on the grounds that it would deprive viewers of a valued service, adding that some of the issues brought up by the U.S. broadcaster concern Canadian copyright law and are not under the CRTC's jurisdiction.

Little growth in music streaming services: MTM

Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, said in report released Wednesday that the percentage of anglophones using "personalized" audio streaming services over the last year or so has been relatively flat.

MTM said 19 per cent of those surveyed last fall said they use personalized audio services, which is defined as a streaming service "available on the Internet which allows users to select from a number of possible streams and to customize playlists." This included pay services and free services that are ad-supported.

HBO notifying Canadian streamers using VPNs: report

HBO has been sending notices to users in countries outside of the U.S., including Canada, who have attempted to access its over-the-top (OTT) HBO Now service, the National Post reported.

The newspaper said in an article Tuesday that some users have received emails stating that it “has come to our attention that you may have signed up for and viewed video content on the HBO NOW streaming service from outside of the authorized service area (the United States, including D.C. and certain US territories).”

Budget includes new money for networks, satellites

The federal budget, released Tuesday, includes new money for broadband and research networks, satellite communications, securing the government’s own online properties and a dedicated public safety network.

The government is promising to spend $1.33 billion over six years through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, beginning in 2017, to support “advanced research infrastructure” at public institutions including hospitals, universities and colleges.

VPNs facing barriers in Australia, New Zealand

A new bill in Australian parliament could block virtual private networks (VPNs), while Internet service providers in New Zealand could face lawsuits for a VPN-like service, two articles in the Guardian said.

The British newspaper reported Monday that four of New Zealand’s major broadcasters have “confirmed they are preparing legal action” against two ISPs “on the basis of breach of copyright.”

TekSavvy appeals Voltage cost award

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. said Friday it will appeal a recent cost award in a dispute with Voltage Pictures LLC over filesharing.

Rogers bundles Spotify with Fido

Customers of Rogers Communications Inc.’s Fido subsidiary will receive free access to Spotify AB’s premium music-streaming service for two years, the company said Monday.

“Plug in and escape, anytime, anywhere, and listen to anything you're into,” Rogers said in a press release.

Spotify’s premium service usually costs $9.99 a month and allows users to listen to music off-line with no ads or restrictions on the songs customers can play and when they can play them, according to Spotify’s website.

Should copyright tariffs be mandatory?

CBC/Radio-Canada and the Society for Reproduction Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers in Canada (SODRAC) recently argued before the Supreme Court of Canada over whether a tariff on “broadcast incidental copies” of musical works for television or Internet productions is legal.

SOCAN moves into new headquarters

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) said Tuesday it has moved into new headquarters, though it has stayed in Montreal.

SOCAN said in a press release that after 25 years in a downtown office tower, it has moved into “the heart of Montreal’s creative centre” at 33 Milton St., near Saint-Laurent Boulevard and the Quartier des spectacles, which is the city’s entertainment district.

Wireless carriers appeal ringtone decision

Four of Canada's biggest wireless carriers are fighting a recent Federal Court decision that found that although a tariff charged for cellphone ringtone downloads is invalid, the carriers that paid it are not owed their money back.

Streaming takes growing share of U.S. music revenue: RIAA

Streaming accounted for 27 per cent of U.S. music industry revenue last year, up from 21 per cent in 2013, the Record Industry Association of American (RIAA) said in report released Wednesday.

The RIAA said permanent downloads accounted for 37 per cent of overall music revenue in the U.S. last year, down from 40 per cent a year earlier. Physical copies of music accounted for 32 per cent of industry revenue, down from 35 per cent one year earlier.

Court sets TekSavvy costs at $21K in Voltage dispute

On Tuesday a Federal Court judge set the cost for TekSavvy Solutions Inc. to hand over subscriber information to Voltage Pictures LLC at $21,557.50, the last major point of contention in a dispute over illegal filesharing.

The ISP had originally asked for more than $300,000 to provide the film production company with names linked to IP addresses on more than 2,000 subscribers who allegedly infringed on Voltage’s copyright by illegally downloading and sharing its films.

Ringtone tariff ruled invalid, but SOCAN can keep money

A tariff on downloaded ringtones for cellphones has been declared invalid, but the wireless carriers who challenged it were denied the $12 million in paid royalties they were seeking back from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).

Bell Media’s Crull takes aim at U.S. channel retransmission

OTTAWA — The retransmission of U.S. networks in Canada is the equivalent of Aereo, the service ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, Kevin Crull, president of BCE Inc.'s media division, said Friday.

“Canada is the only country in the world that allows American networks to be retransmitted without restriction despite valid and exclusive copyrights held by domestic broadcasters,” he said during a keynote address at the Prime Time in Ottawa event put on by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA).

One-third of Netflix users have used U.S. IP address: survey

About one in three Canadian customers of Netflix Inc. have used a U.S. IP address to access the company's American service because it offers more content than the Canadian version, Media Technology Monitor (MTM) said in a report released Tuesday.

SOCAN reports record revenues for 2014

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) said Tuesday that collected a record amount of royalties last year, based on preliminary results.

The collective representing songwriters, composers and publishers, said in a press release its total for the 2014 is expected to be $299 million, up eight per cent from $276 million in 2013, which itself was a record.

Moore stands by Bill S-4 at House committee

OTTAWA — Industry Minister James Moore continued to back his Digital Privacy Act, or Bill S-4, on Thursday as he faced questions from opposition members of a House committee about clauses that allow individuals' information to be shared between private-sector organizations.

Canada agrees to 20-year copyright extension: report

Canada has agreed to extend the copyright term to 70 years after the death of the author as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade deal currently under discussion, the Japanese Broadcasting Corp. reported Feb. 2.

The extension was sought by the United States, the report said, which already has a 70-year copyright term. Canada’s copyright term is currently 50 years after the death of the author, according to the website of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

Pirate Bay site back in operation: report

The Pirate Bay filesharing website is back online, website TorrentFreak reported Friday.

It said "the look and feel of the site is familiar, and the user accounts are working properly too."

The Pirate Bay went offline in December. According to TorrentFreak, the site's "nuclear-proof" data centre in a mountain complex near Stockholm was raided by Swedish authorities that month.

Music streaming in Canada ramps up

In the past six months, Canadians’ usage of streaming music services seems to have jumped, in a trend that’s not only good news for streaming services, but wireless companies as well.

Nielsen Co. only began tracking music streaming in Canada in July 2014. By September, when Spotify AB entered the market, streaming had increased by 18 per cent, according to numbers provided to The Wire Report by independent broadcast consultant Andrew Forsyth, who collected the data for Nielsen.

Voltage Pictures president speaks on piracy

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published Jan. 15, Voltage Pictures LLC president Nicolas Chartier detailed the motivations behind his company’s ongoing efforts to sue those involved in file sharing.

According to the Reporter, Chartier is “the individual most responsible for an exponential growth of copyright litigation in the U.S.” for his “super-aggressive, take-no-prisoners approach to the war on online piracy.”

ISPs prepping for increase in copyright infringement notices

After "significant" investments in time and money to prepare for the notice-and-notice regime that went into effect this month, independent Internet service providers Teksavvy Solutions Inc. and Distributel Communications Ltd. say they haven’t seen an increase in the number of rights holders' requests that infringement notices be passed on to customers — but they’re expecting one.

NDP wants government to close notice-and-notice ‘loophole’

The federal NDP issued a statement Friday calling on the government to prohibit false claims in copyright infringement letters sent under the new notice-and-notice regime.

“The Conservatives must take immediate steps to protect Internet users by closing a loophole that allows media companies to bully Canadians with threats of hefty fines that don’t actually exist under Canadian law,” the press release said.

Canipre to notify Canadians of copyright infringements

Copyright infringement monitoring company Canipre Inc. says it will be using new “notice-and-notice” measures in the Copyright Modernization Act to have those who pirate content online informed of infringements.

China widens lead in global patent filings

Global patent filings were up nine per cent in 2013 from the previous year, while double-digit growth in first-place China widened its lead in patent filings from the United States and other countries, according to the World Intellectual Property Association (WIPO).

In a Tuesday release, WIPO said China now accounts for nearly a third, 32.1 per cent, of the world total of patent filings, followed by the United States at 22.3 per cent and Japan at 13 per cent.

Copyright Board keeps blank CD levy same

The Copyright Board of Canada has maintained a levy of 29 cents each on sales of blank audio CDs that will go to a collective representing music copyright owners.

Pirate Bay torrent tracker resurrected by website

The website Isohunt.to has uploaded a copy of the Pirate Bay, the torrent-sharing website taken offline last week after a raid by Swedish police investigating illegal file-sharing.

“We, the Isohunt.to team, copied the base of the PirateBay in order to save it to the generations of users,” the website said in a blog post Friday.

The posting also encouraged PirateBay users to switch to Isohunt.to.

“Come on in guys, we’re ready to accomodate all of you, we have room for everybody,” it said. "No worries."

Wi-Lan buys patents for device chargers

Wi-Lan Inc., an Ottawa-based licenser of technology patents, said Monday it has acquired a portfolio of patents related to power inversion, which is a technology used for chargers of cellphones, tablets and laptops.

The company would not specify what products these patents cover and what actions it would take as a result of this new intellectual property.

Extent of TV piracy unclear, might be rising among youth

On Wednesday, the Australian government said it would allow the blocking of foreign websites that offer illegal downloading and streaming, the same day that the file-sharing website Pirate Bay was taken offline after a raid by Swedish police.

They’re only two of the latest headlines about an international issue that also affects the Canadian TV industry. But despite its high profile, the extent of the problem is, perhaps surprisingly, hard to detail.

OpenMedia seeking more transparency in TPP talks

OpenMedia, the Canadian-based promoter of open Internet policies, said Thursday one of its representatives will meet with negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and make demands for more transparency during the TPP talks currently taking place in Washington, D.C.

The organization said the public is not being informed of the proposals in the trade agreement, which Canada is negotiating to be part of, nor is the public having its interests properly represented.

Counterfeit, online crime bills get royal assent

Bill C-8, officially known as the Combating Counterfeit Products Act, and Bill C-13, the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, both received royal assent on Tuesday.

Voltage says Teksavvy overcharging for filesharing compliance

OTTAWA — Lawyers for Hollywood production company Voltage Pictures LLC told a Federal Court judge in Ottawa on Monday that Teksavvy Solutions Inc. is using a previous judgment to “claw back” more than $300,000 in legal and other fees, much of which it has no rights to, in a dispute over illegal filesharing.

We’ve paid artists $2 billion US, Spotify says

Spotify defended the compensation it pays to the music industry in a blog post Tuesday, writing that it “has paid more than two billion dollars to labels, publishers and collecting societies for distribution to songwriters and recording artists” since it began in 2008.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek wrote that when “I hear stories about artists and songwriters who say they’ve seen little or no money from streaming and are naturally angry and frustrated, I’m really frustrated too.”

Spotify launches app to promote Canadian music

Music-streaming service Spotify has launched an app called “Listen like a Canadian” that promotes Canadian music to listeners.

Blais threatens to revoke Netflix’ exemption order

GATINEAU, Que. — During the sometimes-contentious appearance by Netflix Inc. on the last day the CRTC’s two-week hearings on the future of television, CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais repeatedly ordered the U.S. streaming company to provide information to the commission, and at one point threatened to revoke Netflix’ digital-media exemption order if it does not comply.

Disney says pick-and-pay hurts TV broadcasters

GATINEAU, Que. —Walt Disney Co. on Monday warned the CRTC against a move toward pick-and-pay television.

Susan Fox, Disney’s vice-president of government relations, told the commission that having broad distribution benefits channels by allowing them to maximize advertising revenues, gives them the certainty necessary for long-term planning and allows them to “redirect consumer marketing and retention expenditures into higher quality and more diversified programs to better serve viewers.”

Re:Sound seeks big hikes in music royalties

Musicians and recording companies are seeking significantly more money from broadcasters and online streaming services in Canada for use of their recordings, according to applications filed with the Copyright Board of Canada.

U.K. to institute “notice-and-notice” copyright regime

The U.K. has scrapped the copyright enforcement approach set out in its 2010 Digital Economy Act in favour of a regime similar to Canada’s.

Inaction against VPN usage ‘may speak volumes’: lawyer

Users of Netflix Inc.’s Canadian feed who feel like watching a few episodes of 30 Rock, Louie or Les Revenants will find themselves out of luck.

But in a world where Canadians know these shows are available on Netflix’ U.S. service, accessing them can be as easy as installing an app or browser extension. Perhaps it’s no wonder millions of subscribers have chosen to.

Web operators must pay SOCAN for music videos

Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc. must pay Canadian songwriters and publishers for music videos viewed on their services, the Copyright Board of Canada ruled on Friday.

The board certified two tariffs from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) that cover both official music videos and user-generated content on the Internet viewed online from 2007 to 2013.

Amazon launches monthly e-book subscriptions in U.S.

Amazon.com Inc. said Friday it has launched a monthly e-book subscription service in the U.S., giving users access to all they can read for $9.99 US a month.

The product is called Kindle Unlimited, and will provide subscribers access to more than 600,000 different books, including bestsellers such as the Harry Potter series, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, Amazon said in a press release.

Rogers changes privacy policy due to customer ‘concern’

Rogers Communications Inc.’s decision to change its privacy policy to require law enforcement agencies to provide a warrant or court order to obtain subscriber information was made partly due to “concern” from customers, said Ken Engelhart, Rogers’ vice-president of regulatory affairs.

Spotify launching music service in Canada

Music-streaming service Spotify will soon be launching in Canada, according to the company’s website.

The Swedish music provider is the fourth most popular streaming service in the United States, according to a survey by Edison Research published in March, and offers both an ad-supported free option and an ad-free premium subscription option.

Google buys Songza streaming service

Google Inc. has bought Songza Media Inc., the music-streaming service said on its website Tuesday.

"Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re becoming part of Google," Songza said in the online notice, adding that "no immediate changes to Songza are planned, other than making it faster, smarter, and even more fun to use."

Though the price was not disclosed, the New York Times reported that Google paid more than $39 million US for Songza.

Carriers tell SOCAN it needs to find ringtone money

Canada's major wireless carriers' have dismissed an argument from the collective representing music writers and publishers that if the Federal Court finds the collective owes $12 million in tariffs collected for ringtone downloads between 2006 and 2012, it can't pay it back because it doesn't have the money anymore.

OpenMedia to meet TPP negotiators

OpenMedia.ca said Thursday it is going to meet negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership when they convene in Ottawa in early July, and it is inviting the public to provide input into various related issues, including Internet censorship.

It's been reported by various publications that representatives of a dozen countries, including Canada, will meet in Ottawa from July 3 to 12 to negotiate elements of the TPP, which would create one of the world's largest free trade zones.

U.S. Supreme Court declares Aereo illegal

The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with broadcasters in their case against Aereo Inc.’s TV service, ruling that the service violates the U.S. Copyright Act.

Ottawa company brings PVR capability to over-the-air TV

Amid the many challenges television service providers were already facing, along came an Ottawa company making devices with digital recording capabilities and electronic-guide functionality for those who rely on over-the-air signals for their TV.

Government formalizes ‘notice-and-notice’ copyright regime

A “notice-and-notice” copyright regime — under which Internet service providers (ISPs) will be legally required to notify customers about copyright infringement complaints brought to their attention by rights holders — will come into force in January 2015, the government said Tuesday.

Stingray to buy Dutch media company

Stingray Digital Group Inc. said Friday it has reached an agreement to purchase an Amsterdam-based owner of music-related television services.

Stingray, a Canadian-based company that provides music services such as Galaxie to TV-service providers, said in a press release it has reached a deal to buy Archibald Media Group. It did not disclose a purchase price.

Stingray said Archibald owns TV services LiteTV, 100% NL TV and XLNT Radio.

Court decision muddies lawful access rules for ISPs: Lawford

Friday’s Supreme Court decision requiring law enforcement to get a warrant in order to obtain customers’ personal information from Internet service providers muddies the water around lawful access legislation, according to lawyer John Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).

Music industry report takes aim at Copyright Board, piracy

A House of Commons heritage committee report on the music industry released Thursday said the government should look at how long the Copyright Board, which sets the rates for use of copyrighted material such as music, takes to make decisions.

Amazon launches music streaming in U.S.

Amazon.com Inc. announced Thursday the launch of a new music-streaming service in the United States.

It said in a press release that the product is called Prime Music and is available at no extra cost to existing U.S. customers of its Prime service, which already provides video streaming, book-borrowing services and two-day shipping privileges for $99 US a year, according to Amazon's website.

Senate committee fails to pass S-4 amendment on disclosure

The Senate committee dealing with the Digital Privacy Act failed to pass an amendment, on a tie vote, that would have required companies to inform individuals if their personal information was being shared with another party, according to an official with the senator that proposed the amendment.

Teksavvy data handover too expensive: Voltage