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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."

1 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. 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.