Cablegate: Ipr: Letter From Canadian Heritage Minister Bev

VZCZCXRO6734
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #3604 3492110
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 152110Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4638
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS OTTAWA 003604

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAN AND EB/TPP/IPE (JENNIFER BOGER)
DEPARTMENT PASS USTR FOR SULLIVAN AND MELLE
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/WHA/ARUDMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ETRD ECON USTR CA
SUBJECT: IPR: LETTER FROM CANADIAN HERITAGE MINISTER BEV
ODA ON COPYRIGHT REFORM

NOT FOR THE INTERNET

1. (U) Ambassador Wilkins has received the attached letter
from Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda on copyright reform
in Canada, which responds to an October 13th letter sent by
USTR Ambassador Schwab to Industry Minister Maxime Bernier.

2. (SBU) Begin text:

Ministry of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Ottawa, Canada K1A 0M5
December 11 2006

Dear Ambassador:

Thank you for your correspondence of October 13, 2006,
enclosing a copy of correspondence from Ambassador Susan C.
Schwab, United States Trade Representative, to the Honourable
Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, regarding copyright
reform in Canada.

I appreciate being advised of the views of the Government of
the United States of America on the legal protection of
intellectual property rights and have carefully noted
Ambassador Schwab's comments with respect to this matter.

The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, and I
are carefully considering how to best ensure that the rights
of Canadian creators are adequately protected by law while
balancing the ability of the public to access copyrighted
works. Issues on copyright reform are complex and the input
that the U.S. Government has provided will be helpful to this
process.

Please accept my best wishes.

Yours sincerely,
(signed)
Bev Oda, P.C., M.P.

cc: The Honourable Maxime Bernier, P.C., M.P.
The Honourable David L. Emerson, P.C., M.P.

End text.

3. (SBU) Embassy comment: As far as we know, there has been
no response yet from Industry Minister Bernier to USTR
Schwab's letter. It may be significant that Canadian
Heritage Minister Oda makes no reference to the GoC's
anticipated introduction of a new copyright reform bill,
which had been the reason for Ambassador Schwab's letter. We
had been told by GoC officials a number of times during the
fall that such a bill might be introduced before Parliament's
Christmas adjournment, but this did not happen. The
Ambassador has an appointment to see Minister Bernier on
December 19, and we will take this opportunity to seek
clarification on the state of play on the copyright reform
bill, especially in light of growing media speculation of a
spring 2007 Federal election. End comment.

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WILKINS

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