It’s humiliating that Canada has now joined Algeria, China, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia and Venezuela on the U.S. blacklist of countries that does not take action against Internet piracy. Canada now has the dubious honour of being the only Western democracy on the list. The reasons cited are that we are a hub for bootleg movies, pirated software, and the use of chips that bypass copyright protections. No one is denying that it exists, but is it worst at the Pacific Mall in Markham than on Canal Street in Manhattan?

It appears that Canada has not implemented the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Internet treaties which we signed in 1997, nor have we enacted our own laws governing intellectual property. President Obama has certainly taken a touch position on this issue. Perhaps because he appears to be the most technologically savvy of the presidents, or because he has started the rallying cry “Buy American”, he has become a crusader for the protection of intellectual property. Calling on Canada to stop pirated and counterfeit movies and DVDs from crossing into the U.S., Washington is also requesting that Canadian customs officers have the authority to seize pirated materials. At the moment they have to seek a court order each time they suspect a shipment.

What I don’t understand is that it is reported that the International Intellectual Property Alliance which is a group that includes Microsoft, Apple, and Paramount pressed the Bush administration to get Canada to enforce intellectual property laws. Now apparently the Obama administration is doing what the Bush administrations wouldn’t. Why wouldn’t they have pressed Canada themselves? And why aren’t we doing more to protect intellectual property?