The issues around Girl Talk’s sampling are not as pressing north of the border, at least for the time being.
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Current Canadian copyright laws are much more liberal than those in thee U.S., with larger fair-use exceptions and more lenient enforcement. It’s unlikely any Canadian labels or copyright holders would be anxious to set a new precedent for copyright law, nor to face
the impressive lineup of legislators, attorneys and public support forming behind Girl Talk.
But all that could change in the next year. The federal government is pushing a new set of rigid and far-reaching copyright rules, proposed as Bill C-61. It all but obliterates exceptions for fair use, making the work of nearly every DJ technically illegal.
Labels or publishers might try to litigate against Girl Talk in Canada first, setting an international standard and paving the way for lawsuits in the U.S., where the larger copyright battle could then be fought.
All the same, a Canadian label or publisher would need a healthy amount of motivation, money and moxie to take action.
