Canada's copyright and digital policies aren't working. That's what I'm hearing from artists, independent Internet service providers, and consumers.

Our laws are out of date; they were written before file sharing or Facebook, before iPods or BitTorrent. If they ever worked, they don't anymore. They don't support the information commons or encourage creativity in the arts. They don't help people.

In the digital age, even the most savvy are having a tough time keeping current so as to avoid copyright infringement. Others simply assume, incorrectly, that anything you find on the Internet is free for the taking. And the line between what is protected and what is free isn’t always clear.

Even when it is clear, good luck trying to monitor illegal uses of your copyrighted material on the Internet. Electronic copyrighted information is easy to manipulate, reproduce and distribute. And the responsibility for policing copyrights lies with the producer of the copyrighted material.

It's a good day if you like any combination of the following: the Internet, Canadian film, free stuff, and enlightened copyright practices.

The National Film Board of Canada has put its archives online, all 100 per cent free and awesome. There are 700 films up already, with more on the way. This is a good thing. Not only does it give Canadians unrestricted access to a big chunk of their cultural history, but it may also help the NFB sell more of their films. And when you sell more, you make more money. Money that can be used to support more great Canadian films.

While students were basking in the sun this past summer, federal Industry Minister Jim Prentice introduced Bill C-61, a copyright law that would have given students a tougher time researching for that 10-page essay.

The bill may have died on the table now that Parliament has dissolved and a federal election draws near. But don’t be fooled by its death. A copyright reform will most certainly be on the agenda of the new government, and if the Tories get re-elected, we may see the resurrection of a harsh, U.S. influenced copyright law.

If it were passed into law, the proposed bill would make, among other provisions, the downloading of music and the uploading of copy-protected