The legality of virtual private network (VPN) technology, which allows unauthorised content from overseas to be accessed, is being reviewed.

The review is part of more than a dozen wide-ranging revisions the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) is suggesting to be made to the Copyright Act, which was last majorly updated in 2004.

MinLaw did not recommend an outcome on the use of VPN in the consultation papers released yesterday.

But it called for public feedback on whether current rules governing the circumvention of digital locks on copyrighted work needs to be updated. These locks restrict access to or use of the content.

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos), which had a part in putting together the consultation paper, recognises that there are “some complications” surrounding the use of VPN.

“There are some concerns that bypassing geographical blocks could infringe copyright,” said Daren Tang, chief executive of Ipos.

Nevertheless, Singapore remains a strong supporter of parallel import, which is essentially what VPN allows in the digital world, he added.

The law generally does not allow digital locks on copyrighted works to be circumvented.

But there are a few exceptions.

For instance, tertiary educational institutions can unlock short clips of films to critique them, and libraries are allowed to unlock old software to preserve it in an operational state.

The law is silent on the use of VPN technology for accessing blocked content.

Consumers in Singapore have been using it to stream content meant for other markets from legitimate video-streaming sites. But there is pressure from content publishers to change that.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents more than 1,000 producers and distributors of sound recordings, believes VPN users should not be allowed to circumvent geographical blocks.

“This idea of parallel import is based on pricing alone,” said Ang Kwee Tiang, its regional director for Asia.

“It is effectively a race to the bottom, forcing Singapore to become an importer of content instead of a producer or distributor of content domestically.”

Experts say it is impossible to outlaw VPN, which also has legitimate uses – for instance, securing corporate access to information over the Web.

“But the law can clarify that VPNs cannot be used to access certain types of restricted content,” said Jonathan Kok, intellectual property (IP) and technology lawyer at RHTLaw Taylor Wessing.

IP lawyer Cyril Chua of Robinson LLC said if the law was to be amended to regulate the source of content, shops selling Android media boxes preloaded with apps for movie streaming could be hit.

Other revisions proposed include legalising data collation for data mining even as analytics becomes increasingly important to economic growth, and allowing public schools to reproduce and share content on websites for teaching purposes.

The consultation will end on Oct 24.

“These reviews will further strengthen our regime and allow it to keep current with technological advances, business needs and societal developments,” said Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indranee Rajah, speaking at the opening of the 5th annual IP Week@SG 2016 event at Marina Bay Sands yesterday.

“IP is not just about law.

“IP is also about business and innovation.”

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SINGAPORE – When Mr Goh Chok Tong asked Mr S R Nathan to stand for President, he broke down, said the Emeritus Senior Minister in his condolences to the late president’s wife, Urmila.

Mr Goh said that it was Mr Lee Kuan Yew who suggested Mr Nathan to him when they were on the look out for presidential candidates in 1999.

“He told me about his delinquent childhood, how he ran away from home and stayed away from his family for many years. He worried that this could be a liability,” Mr Goh wrote in a condolence letter on Tuesday (Aug 23).

“I replied that on the contrary, it would be a great story of redemption and determination to succeed.”

His was a story of “fortitude, courage and service”, said Mr Goh.

That story includes how Mr Nathan dropped out of school as a teenager and ran away from home, how he joined the civil service as a clerk and rose through the ranks, and how he took up the highest office in the land after he “retired”.

Singapore’s former president S R Nathan dies

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“From my years of interaction with him, I knew him to be of stout character and loyal to his friends and colleagues. His rise from clerk to President rode on his valour, competence and people-skills,” he wrote.

Mr Nathan went on to serve two terms as President, from 1999 to 2011.

“He was sincere, humble and had the people’s touch,” Mr Goh added.

Mr Goh noted that Mr Nathan not only served in many areas, including social service, the labour movement, the intelligence service and foreign service, but he also started the President’s Challenge in 2000 to help Singaporeans in need.

“Sadly, Nathan is no longer with us,” he wrote. “I grieve but take solace in that his spirit of public service will continue to live on within Singaporeans.”

This article was first published on August 23, 2016.
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