Quebec government under pressure as Canada's 'casseroles protests' expand. It's just before 8pm in the Villeray district of Montreal.
People wander in and out of the shops and bars, and traffic streams down the main road. But gradually the atmosphere changes, as clusters of people begin to congregate at the busy Jarry intersection. Some are in small groups, and others alone; hipsters in shorts and hi-top trainers mingle with parents in hiking boots and khakis. Torrentfreak. While most of the major entertainment industry companies wage war against BitTorrent sites, the Songwriters Association of Canada prefers to embrace file-sharing.
Speaking with TorrentFreak, vice president Jean-Robert Bisaillon says that the Internet has revived the music business. Sharing music is part of people's nature and the songwriters want to legalize file-sharing, while compensating the artists whose works are shared. Canada Signs Historic Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Combatting trade in counterfeit and pirated goods will help ensure future economic prosperity, says International Trade Minister Fast (No. 280 – September 30, 2011 – 10:35 p.m.
ET) The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), an international agreement aimed at combatting the spread of trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. In the June 2011 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to enforcing and defending intellectual property rights and helping balance the needs of creators and users to foster innovation- and knowledge-based prosperity. “Counterfeit and pirated goods are an increasingly global problem that requires a globally coordinated solution,” said Minister Fast.