Canadian DMCA REALLY SUCKS!!!
p2pnet news | Politics:- “The Canadian DMCA. It really sucks. I mean really, totally sucks.”
Ain’t that the truth, and it comes from Brian the Frog in a YouTube video.
This is a big deal, he says, “I’m only one frog. Do something about it!”
Says o0Theresa0o, “Damn frog is smarter than half the monkey’s walking around.”
Ain’t that the truth!
Brian suggests you should check out Michael Geist’ list of 30 things you can do.
Meanwhile, “The Canadian DMCA may not be introduced until next week (Tuesday is the rumoured day), but many are not waiting until the bill comes to make their views known,” says Geist today, going on:
“Over the past few days, there has been an incredible amount of action and growing media coverage. This includes:
* Letters to Prentice - many Canadians taking the time to write to their MP and Ministers Prentice and Verner. Several people have posted their letters, which may help those who want to write but are not sure where to begin. Examples:
- here, here, here, and here. Online Rights Canada has a sample form and the Fair Copyright For Canada Facebook group has many more examples.
- Online Video - the Stop the Canadian DMCA video.
- Media coverage - coverage from ComputerWorld, CityTV (full interview here) and Rabble.ca.
- New coalitions - ConsoleSource.com has created a new page being used by many others in its industry.
- The Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook Group - launched just five days ago, the group has now surpassed 5,300 members.
So don’t just stay tuned in, DO SOMETHING!!!!
Jon Newton - p2pnet
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December 6th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
this video sucks!
I MEAN…IT REALLY, REALLY, TOTALLY SUCKS…eh!
December 6th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
” this video sucks! ”
That may be so,
but at least they are DOING something.
TRYING to make a difference.
Kudos for that.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:13 am
This is beyond appalling. I have written my MP Peggy Nash, although she seems to be going for the NO vote regardless. For this government to consult with a foreign ambassador and mainly foreign business entities while failing to consult the citizens he represents and work for is insulting and undemocratic. This is not what Canada stands for, if Dion wants to make this a battle of ideologies, a US ideology vs a Canadian one for the upcoming election this is a perfect flash-point. I will be writing his office as well encouraging him to stand up for Canadian sovereignty and not for multi-national corporations or foreign governments when considering Canadian law and policy.
I refuse to let my country take that first step down the this slippery slope, we’ve seen the evidence of this type of approach south of the border, it’s an unmitigated failure, which is even admitted by the one of the original architects of the US DMCA…
So to recap, we’ll adopt a failed US law here in Canada instead of a well thought out Canadian solution, and then after ramming this legislation through under cover of Christmas (despicable US style politics) we as citizens of this country will have the opportunity to have out voices heard after the fact to try and repair the wrong(s) that have been done? This is ridiculous, governing backwards from a manufactured problem to a solution, in upwards of 10 years?!?! This government is not my government, this government is NOT Canadian at all. Get them out.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:17 am
Finally, this week is the likely the week that the Canadian version of the DMCA, Digital Millenium Copyright Act, is to be tabled. In it, the copyright provisions are so strenuous, if you were to purchase a cd for the full-price from a legitimate retailer, rip it on your computer unshared with anyone, put it on your mp3 player to listen to, you will have committed heinous, egregious copyright infringement. You owe the company who sold you the cd serious money. You’ll just have to purchase a copy for your mp3 player, a copy for your stereo and a copy for your phone. If your OS requires software updates that don’t recognize your legally purchased file, you’d better buy another copy, or suffer the consequences of white collar criminals everywhere. You also can’t unlock something to find out how it works, or record a television show in order to watch it later.
—–
Industry Minister Jim Prentice will rise in the House of Commons and introduce copyright reform legislation. We can no longer speak of choices because those choices have already been made. There is every indication (see the Globe’s latest coverage) this legislation will be a complete sell-out to U.S. government and lobbyist demands. The industry may be abandoning DRM, the evidence may show a correlation between file sharing and music purchasing, Statistics Canada may say that music industry profits are doing fine, Canadian musicians, filmmakers, and artists may warn against this copyright approach, and the reality may be that Canadian copyright law is stronger in some areas than U.S. law, yet none of that seems to matter. In the current environment and with the current Ministers, politics trumps policy.
The new Canadian legislation will likely mirror the DMCA with strong anti-circumvention legislation - far beyond what is needed to comply with the WIPO Internet treaties - and address none of the issues that concern millions of Canadians. The Conservatives promise to eliminate the private copying levy will likely be abandoned. There will be no flexible fair dealing. No parody exception. No time shifting exception. No device shifting exception. No expanded backup provision. Nothing.
The government will seemingly choose locks over learning, property over privacy, enforcement over education, (law)suits over security, lobbyists over librarians, and U.S. policy over a “Canadian-made” solution. Once the bill is introduced, look for the government to put it on the fast track with limited opportunity for Canadians to appear before committees considering the bill. With a Canadian DMCA imminent, what matters now are voices. It will be up to those opposed to this law to make theirs heard.
Update: Many people have asked what they can do to make their voices heard on this issue. Last year, I posted 30 Things You Can Do about anti-circumvention legislation. Many of those recommendations still apply, starting with a letter (letter, not email - no stamp required) to your Member of Parliament, the Ministers of Industry and Canadian Heritage, and the Prime Minister.
From http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2419/125/