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Technology Issues Ignored in Canadian Elections

Posted by michael on from the oh-canada dept.

Jem Berkes writes "Today's Toronto Star has a good article on Canadian political parties' positions on important technology issues such as Copyright reform/WIPO, spam, and privacy. With the elections only a week away, it's surprising that these important issues have attracted little or no debate. The current Heritage Committee, for instance, has recommended that Canada ratify WIPO, and few citizens (let alone politicians) are even aware of this issue."

4 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. NDP Policy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The NDP does not yet have a policy on Open Source Software, but I did speak to Jack Layton about it last fall. I hope to be able to bring (or send) a proposal on this matter to the next national convention .

    See this journal entry

    Any other NDP member/FLOSS folks want to help? Contact user "temojen", or send a message to the NPI mailing list.

    (Posting anonymously because I'm at work & don't have my password here)

  2. no surprise by merdark · · Score: 1, Interesting

    With the elections only a week away, it's surprising that these important issues have attracted little or no debate.

    This is no surprise at all. Besides not being relevant to Joe Average, these issues are not all that relevant even to techies this time round. Why?

    Because there are FAR more important issues.

    For me, I'll do anything to prevent Harper (Bush of the north) from getting in. He basically want's to turn Canada into the current USA, something I and all my friends are dead set against.

    When things such as military involvment in questionable wars, our health care system, our public infrastructure, and modern social issues such as abortion and gay marriage are on the line, technological issues take back seat. As with last year, many liberal supporters are not *really* supporting the liberals, but rather voting anit-conservative.

    Everyone should know by the way, that the current Conservative party is NOT the old progressive conservative party. They are mostly the Alliance and only changed their name to Conservative because they knew that the Alliance name is forever tarnished by thier last attempt to get elected.

  3. Sarmite says no DMCA regulation of tech in Canada by emaveneau · · Score: 2, Interesting
    After a few attempts to contact Sarmite Bulte about the Interim Report on Canadian Copyright Reform, I've finally received a written answer.
    "I am of the opinion that our proposals/recommendations in the Interim Report do not regulate technology.

    In addition, I disagree that ratification of the WIPO treaty regulates technology."

    [Homer] Wooh Hoo!! [/Homer] IMHO this means no DMCA regulation for technology in Canada!

    Take a look at the the user feed back during the Copyright Reform Process. Over 700 submissions all sorted by date and submitter.

    Among the contributions who asked for specific legislation to ban circumvention technology were, the Canadian Independent Record Producers Association (CIPRA), which on page page 4 requested

    "With regard to technological protection measures, it is the view of CIRPA that ... it is vital that new legislation be put in place to address the ... problems these devices cause ... copyright owners. In particular the effective defining and legislation of tamper proof rights management systems..."
    Since there will be no such regulation I believe Bulte and others have the right idea.

    AOL-TW Inc also called for DMCA type regulation of technology,

    (b) that legal protection against the circumvention of technological protection measures be added to the law, whether contained within the Copyright Act or linked to it; (c) that such protection extend to the manufacture of and trafficking in circumvention devices and services, as well as the act of circumvention;
    Such DMCA type demands were completely dismissed by the Committee.

    FWIW: The September 4th 2001 submission from "The Edifying Fellowship of Ook" is hilarious. I couldn't get past the first page with that funky old English font.

    O, may this humble document meet the favour of the Departments and the Sub-Departments and the Molluffs and the Tree-Sloths even unto the fourteenth generation. ...
    I'm usually 100% cynical, but the system seems responsive.. even to the eccentric.
  4. Canadian Libertarian Party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Generally, the big Canadian parties realize copyrights, patents, and digital freedom are not understood by the average person; that's why politicians prefer to cave in to the corporations on these issues.

    As someone has pointed out, the Green Party does have a pro-open source platform. But they're not the only ones. Libertarians favour people's rights (fair use, etc) over artificial state-created monopolies like copyrights and patents. Even though Canada's Libertarian party is in a state of rebuilding, they're a good choice for those who value digital and cultural freedom.

    In my riding (Cariboo-Prince George), Jeff Paetkau includes copyright and patent reform (the good kind of reform) in his platform. Jeff is an active member of the Gentoo community, and was responsible for the nightly KDE builds until recently. Canadian Slashdotters can read up on his platform here: www.timeforless.ca