Debate WIPO before passing Canada DMCA
p2pnet news | Politics:- Canadian industry minister Jim Prentice must bring the WIPO treaty to parliament for debate before any moves are made to ratify it, or bring in new copyright legislation, says the NDP’s Charlie Angus.
Just before Christmas the government was about to introduce a copyright bill modelled on America’s reviled DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).
"Minister Prentice claimed the restrictive legislation was needed in order to ratify the WIPO treaty," says Angus in a press statement.
Prentice was stopped in mid-track by a huge and angry online outcry
It’s clear Prentice was, "stung by the massive consumer backlash to his DMCA Canada bill," says Angus, going on:
"Canadians want to have a say in new copyright legislation and they want to know how the WIPO treaty will affect them if it is ratified."
The WIPO treaty was negotiated in 1996 and has yet to be ratified by many of Canada’s trading partners, he states, also pointing out the government’s, "push for restrictive copyright appears to be driven by corporate lobbyists with no input from education institutions, consumer groups, artists or software innovators".
"We need to spend less time worrying about the sword clanging of lobbyists and more time looking for a 21st century solution to the 21st century issues of digital innovation and culture," he says.
"This government has made a commitment to debating treaties. Clearly Mr. Prentice is bound to bring this treaty to the House for a fair and open debate."
Rubber-stamping WIPO, "won’t make Canada more competitive or respectful of intellectual property," Angus says, adding:
"WIPO was negotiated when the fax machine was considered cutting-edge technology.
"We need copyright legislation that will work for the 21st century. Instead we have a government that appears stuck in the 20th century."
Also See:
reviled DMCA - Don’t repeat US mistake, CLA tells Prentice, December 21, 2007
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