Canadian PM ‘copyright’ charge
p2pnet.net News:- A claim of ‘copyright infringement’ was used by Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper in a bid to stifle a TV commercial, says a renewable fuels group.
It was a phrase rarely heard until the entertainment cartels began using it as part of their world-wide campaign to force their customers into buying ‘product’. But today it crops up over and over again, often attached to efforts to stifle free speech.
Telecaster Canada, the group which regulates TV advertising content for Canadian broadcasters, blocked an ad reminding Canadians about prime minister Stephen Harper’s campaign promise to require 5% renewable content in fuel, and promoting the benefits of ethanol and biodiesel, says the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA).
“The advertisement in question contained a brief clip from the last election campaign of Stephen Harper speaking to a group of farmers outside Chatham, Ontario on December 21, 2005,” it says. “Telecaster is requiring the CRFA to get approval from the Prime Minister to use his image in the ad, despite the clip being taken from a public event during an election campaign.”
Declares executive director Kory Teneycke, “Public commitments made by politicians during political campaigns have historically been treated as matters of public record, not as copyrighted material owned by the politician in question.”
Association mascot Corn Cob Bob launched a protest hunger strike, but he’s out of danger because according to CTV, the ad has now been approved, although, “the association isn’t happy, saying it won ‘on a technicality’ and the bureau will still apply the rule to future ads”.
Teneycke contacted Mike Donison, executive director of the Conservative party, states the story, which has him saying in an email to Teneycke, “I am not aware how the party, or Mr. Harper for that matter, has anything to say – permitting, refusing or otherwise – about the broadcast of a clip from a public event.”
Donison said he’d never been asked for such permission, says CTV.
The “confused response” was enough for the bureau which emailed an approval but, that’s no victory, says Teneycke.
“It’s a case of winning the battle and losing the war,” the story quotes him as declaring. “They are saying our ad can go ahead on a technicality, but they are retaining their policy of requiring approval of the politician in question. Their position is the Conservative party isn’t exercising their veto and our ad can air.”
The analyst who originally demanded the Harper clearance refused to comment on the policy on Monday, referring all calls to Jim Patterson, president of the bureau. Patterson was not in the office Monday, adds CTV.
The CRFA says it’s a non-profit organization, “with a mission to promote renewable fuels for transportation through consumer awareness and government liaison activities”.
Also See:
CRFA – Telecaster Canada Gives Politicians De Facto Veto Over Video Clip, January 22, 2007
CTV – TV ad watchdog accused of censorship by group, January 22, 2007
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January 23rd, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Considering how pudgy Harpie has gotten since taking office, I’m surprised McDonalds hasn’t sued him for infringing on the likeness of Grimace.
Seriously, did Harper trademark his face? Does he sell Harper brand Flabbergasted Leers?