Piracy Laws Could Become Tougher in Canada

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada, also known as ESAC, is announcing that it has begun a new campaign calling for legislators to take into account the need to beef up the anti piracy laws in the country, one of the most important markets for videogames in the world.

The ESAC is saying that the legislation now in effect is too lax and does not do enough to deter potential pirates.

According to the ESAC, at the moment, Canadian custom agents cannot seize goods, including videogames, which are known to be pirated, because the action requires a court injunction to be issued. The laws should be changed to make it easier to seize those products known to be pirated and re-sold for a profit.

Danielle Parr, who is the executive director for ESAC, has said that the fines levied in Canada are “like a slap on the wrist because these pirates don't pay taxes. They pay the penalty and are selling stolen software the next day.”

The representative of game creators in Canada has also stated that the country should outlaw mod chips, which allow consoles like the Nintendo DS or the Xbox 360 to be modified to play pirated videogames. Possession of such a chip is not a crime at the moment, but companies like Nintendo have called for them to be banned, saying that they are affecting sales of original software.

Currently, the lawmakers of Canada are said to be discussing the project for a new copyright bill, which has been described as a priority. A recent attempt to push through a law that would have imposed significant fines against ordinary consumers caught pirating was defeated earlier. The ESAC supported that proposal.