The regulation of digital transmissions in Canada through copyright law

This thesis examines the manner in which international copyright norms and the Canadian Copyright Act deal with digital transmissions. Canada's adherence to international copyright norms is examined in respect of the right of reproduction and communication. It sets out an example of the application of Canadian copyright law to a digital transmission. The thesis concludes by pointing out conceptual problems and inconsistencies in the Copyright Act and in domestic copyright jurisprudence. In respect of the right of reproduction it highlights potential problems in fixation in subsistence and reproduction, the technological neutrality of the Copyright Act, and the relation between copyright, tangible property rights and distribution. In respect of the right of communication it highlights potential problems in the making available right, the regulation of the right of communication in Canada compared to other countries, internal consistency of the Copyright Act and the complexity of regulation in the Copyright Act.