Prentice puts the brakes on Canada DMCA
p2pnet news | Freedom:- Ottawa law professor Michael Geist was correct.
“The word this afternoon is that Industry Minister Jim Prentice will not introduce the Canadian DMCA tomorrow,” he posted on Monday.
“The thousands of letters and phone calls over the past week have urged the government to adopt balanced copyright reforms that meets everyone’s needs and does not unduly harm education, consumer rights, privacy, and free speech. The delay provides an exceptional opportunity for Minister Prentice to consult more broadly and to factor those concerns into the forthcoming bill in the interests of all Canadians.”
Today, says Deirdre McMurdy in the Ottawa Citrizen, “Kempton Lam, Corey Doctorow, Michael Geist (left) and Howard Knopf (right) aren’t exactly familiar names in Ottawa’s political power circles,”
But, “those four – along with thousands of other Canadians – managed to throw a spanner into the works of the Harper government.
“As leaders of an increasingly vocal and organized grassroots cyber-movement against controversial, anticipated changes to the federal Copyright Act, their persistent efforts derailed Industry Minister Jim Prentice’s plan to introduce an amended bill this morning.”
However, IMHO, the names Geist and Knopf are all too well-known in Canada’s corridors of power, largely thanks to the Net.
Both men, often quoted in the mainstream media, instantly and regularly reach Canadians everywhere via their blogs, and two of their more recent posts (Geist, Knopf) in particular powerfully drove home the message which forced Prentice to jam the brakes sharply on his plans to unveil a Canadian DMCA.
However, it’s important to remember that Canadians and the Bush administration aren’t the only ones watching.
Said Knopf on Sunday, “The legendary ‘free software’ (‘free’ refers to ‘liberty, not price’) proponent, Richard Stallman, has contacted me and expressed his appreciation of my post about how Canadian copyright law is already stronger and better in many ways than American law.”
He went on:
He has pointed out that “DRM” also stands for ‘Digital Restrictions Management’ and has warned Canadians to take action to stop it. He has also written a letter to the editor of the Hill Times about this and about my piece in that publication dated November 26, 2007.
Canada should listen carefully to American experts such as Richard Stallman We must learn from American excesses and errors. Even Bruce Lehman, architect of the DMCA, has effectively told Canada so more than once.
What Richard Stallman says is very important and is watched and admired by many influential people.
He is one of the illustrious pantheon of EFF Pioneeer Awards Recipients and recipient of many other honors and honorary doctorate degrees.
For a “fragile minority government, the chorus of angry voices was too loud to ignore,” says the Ottwaw Citizen, adding:
“Although many are demanding a broad-based public consultation process on copyright, the objective is now to table a revised version of the bill within the few remaining days before Parliament breaks for Christmas.
“Although Industry Canada shares the copyright file with the Heritage Department, Mr. Prentice has been the lead minister on it. He not only has more clout in caucus because of the nature of his portfolio, but he’s known to have the ear of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.”
Now, as Geist posted yesterday, “It remains to be seen whether the delay is for a day or two or for at least six weeks. Moreover, if the longer delay, it will be important to see how Prentice takes advantage of the time to consult Canadians on copyright reform.”
Jon Newton – p2pnet
Also See:
Ottawa Citrizen – Tories blink on copyright law change, December 11, 2007
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December 11th, 2007 at 9:03 am
It’s nice to see in Canada that the laws are affected by what the people want.
December 11th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
How could the technologically advanced new Canadian Conservatives been so dumb
A controversial bill that seeks to reform Canadian copyright laws, expected to be introduced early this week, may be quashed after a groundswell of real citizen opposition erupted over the past week.
“Michael Geist, the Canada research chair of internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa, has led the charge against the bill and has accused Prentice of caving in to lobbying from U.S. entertainment companies, who are seeking to curtail digital copying in all its forms. He has also accused the minister of ignoring the wishes of regular Canadians and for not including the public in his consultations.Geist started a Facebook group to protest the bill a week ago, which more than 12,000 people have so far joined. On his blog Monday, Geist wrote that the group has resulted in hundreds of letters and phone calls to Prentice and other MPs from every political party. Something exceptional happened this past week. Fair copyright in Canada found its voice,” Geist wrote. “It will be silent no more.” ”
“Canadian netroots rise up against Tory copyright plans Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Kempton Lam, Corey Doctorow, Michael Geist and Howard Knopf aren’t exactly familiar names in Ottawa’s political power circles. But yesterday, those four — along with thousands of other Canadians — managed to throw a spanner into the works of the Harper government. As leaders of an increasingly vocal and organized grassroots cyber-movement against controversial, anticipated changes to the federal Copyright Act, their persistent efforts derailed Industry Minister Jim Prentice’s plan to introduce an amended bill this morning. There’s no question that over the past several weeks that acute pressure — much of it below the surface in the world of blogs and chat rooms — has been building around the copyright file. Cory Doctorow, an activist and editor of the popular blog BoingBoing.net. insists that the apparent emulation of the U.S. model and the huge pressure from the U.S.-based entertainment lobby is a big part of what makes the copyright issue so resonant in Canada.”People are asking guys like Jim Prentice who he really works for,” he says. “And what recording industry are we protecting when so many Canadian musicians and labels have left the recording industry lobby group.”"We will do it a third time, a fourth, a fifth, and forever, until Canada’s politicians start drafting balanced copyright laws that protect Canadian artists, scholars, critics, schools, libraries and the public interest,” he wrote.” A lawyer by training and experience, Mr. Prentice — who acquired the Industry beat in August — was apparently poised to take a much harder and more pro-regulation stance. That is, until he got blogged down by the grassroots.” even in his own riding, province too..
“Deborah Johnson from Gatineau, Canada writes: I’ve been following the debate about the American DMCA for quite a while. I’ve experienced the annoyance of having downloaded digital music, and then having them crippled by DRM because of licences not being “current”. All this does is cause annoyance for the end-consumer. It doesn’t protect the artist, at all. So, restrictive copyright laws that echo the defective American example are NOT welcome in my country.”
“Word is that the minister had no idea that this would be such a big deal for Canadians,” he wrote. “Word is that the minister and his advisers are scrambling, rethinking the entire matter because of the public outcry.”
The reality is the vast and quick negative publicity damage against the Conservatives, the Industry Minister Jim Prentice has now already been done, Canada wide and it will negatively influence the future voters likely too. How could the technologically advanced new Conservatives been so dumb to have underestimated the significant power of the Internet communication now too? Or did they underestimate it in fact? Conservatives are already known Canada wide for being bullies who try to deny, suppress the free speech of others, particularly the opposition. But they did clearly not expect they would be vastly opposed..
I have also rightfully said this before the Conservatives and their leader want others to hear their message but it seems they are the first to shut down others free speech, right to be heard in particularly if it is negative against the Conservatives.There has been another reason why Jim Prentice who has the ear of the Pirme Minister Stephe Harper rapidly rushed into, wanted to use the proposed changes to the federal Copyright Act also as an excuse to censor the Internet user’s right of free speech it seems, for clearly since the Conservative have been in office the much too many negative complaints against the Conservatives Canada wide. “Could this be another attempt to harness and control the Internet? We already are restricted in our access to the world by sites which tell us what is “relevant” for our browsing pleasure. Compare the ease of accessibility of ten years ago to now. Sites such as Google, Yahoo, etc., are worldwide portals into local affairs, portraying of course, only the affairs which are not seen as dissenting or dangerous to the “free” world. Our view of the world is increasingly GROOMED for us on the net as it already is through newspapers and television/radio. The Internet is the last bastion of free speech. Will not this act restrict us, restrict blogs, etc., something the Americans are already living with as bloggers are being jailed?”
Negative letters like this one is what they were first trying to suppress it seems?
December 11th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Maybe important sweeping changes like this should be put to a referendum ? You know the kind that democracy is supposedly designed for. Having a government making all decisions without participation of the public is not democracy, it’s despotism.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Put that in your pipe and smoke it CRIAA!!!
Here in Canada we complain and make law makers lives miserable if you try to pull a fast one on us….