The Copyright Board of Canada has ruled that it's completely legal for Canadians to download MP3s via P2P networks like Kazaa, Grokste or eMule. That's right, in Canada you can download all the tunes you can find completely free of charge and well within the law. The RIAA can't touch you.
A fee is being levied on MP3 players as a way to pay musicians and songwriters for revenues lost from this action. Depending on the size of the MP3 player, this fee ranges from $2 - $25. Also, it should be noted, uploading files is illegal, even if downloading them is not.
The timing of this report that was released Friday is grand. As I've written a couple of times over the past week, I've just completed my digitalization project. I've ripped all my CDs into MP3s. Now I can expand my collection with a clear conscious without abusing the Visa. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This is a great country.
