p2pnet.net News:- Will Canada’s Liberal government go the way of its American neighbour, giving the corporate entertainment and communications cartels exclusive control of the way in which digital media are handled online, and having Canada’s copyright laws re-written to suit them?

Not if Canadians can help it, and the latest indication of their determination to stop this from happening came yesterday when a Liberal back-bencher handed parliament another batch of signatures from concerned citizens.

Liberal member of parliament David McGuinty tabled petitions from 583 people protesting attempts by heritage Liza Frulla (heritage) and David Emerson (industry) to have Canada’s intellectual property laws re-written to suit the Big Four record labels, with other vested interests lurking in the wings.

If these groups have their way, independent performing artists, film-makers and businesses will dance to the tune of the cartels, and Canadians who share with each other online will be singled out for special attention, as have well over 11,000 mothers, fathers and their children around the world, with more than 90% of them in the US.

The petitioners demanded that the government refuses to lengthen copyright terms and preserves all existing user rights, to ensure a vibrant public domain, said McGuinty.

Equally important, They also request that users be recognized as interested parties and, as such, be consulted about any proposed changes to the aforementioned Copyright Act,” he added.

Bending to relentless pressure from the entertainment industry, heritage minister Frulla says she wants to “amend” Canada’s “antiquated” intellectual property laws through proposed new copyright legislation to be tabled in June.

The cartels are simultaneously reporting eye-popping revenues and claiming they’re being “devastated” by online file sharing.

Opposition MP Peter Julian recently presented the Petition for Users Rights to parliament, and similar protest documents are expected from other MPs in the near future.

“The issue that remains the most important is the question of who controls communications technology,” says digital-copyright.ca’s Russell McOrmond, a petition organizer.

“I believe it’s critical for protecting citizens rights that any hardware assistance for communications, whether it be eye-glasses, VCR’s, or personal computers, must be under the control of the citizen and not a third party.

“That’s why we’re demanding in the petition that the government recognize the right of citizens to personally control their own communication devices.”

Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net

See:-
583 people – Liberal MP to table IP petitions, p2pnet, May 4, 2005
special attention – RIAA victimizes 925 people, April 30, 2005
antiquated – Liza Frulla ‘in a rage’, p2pnet, April 23, 2005
recently presented – Cdn copyright petition lodged, p2pnet, April 7, 2005

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