Slashdot Mirror
Canadian Gov't Gives Big Bucks to Copyright Lobby
5degreez writes "The Toronto Star is reporting
that the Canadian government is providing
hundreds of thousands of dollars to a copyright lobby group that claims
that education groups are 'devoted to abolishing creators' rights on the
Internet.' Documents obtained under the Access to Information Act by Prof Michael Geist
reveal that government officials recognized that the funding
established a bad precedent, yet they still plan to pay big bucks until
2008."
they're using the taxpayers' money to provide the *AA money so they can lobby for parties following their lines?
O.o This is sick, man! It's way more serious than the *AA. It's more like electoral fraud.
This contract was awarded under the previous government, but it's for a 3 year term. So we'll see if there are any differences between the Liberals and Conservatives.
Why should we be treating this as a criminal act when it's clearly a civil issue?
Because when laws change, copyright infringement will become a criminal act.
And speaking about lobbying, let me tell you about elections in my country.
Here in Mexico, money for political campaigns is provided by taxes. It is scandalous because too much money is given to the parties - but in a way it's still healthier than lobbying. Because with lobbying, it's corporate interests which determine who gets advertised (and therefore, elected).
A much better idea (IMHO) for an electoral process is to spend equal amount of money in propaganda for all parties involved, to promote their platforms and ideas. Then do obligatory (for the parties) debates and let the public decide.
This distinction doesn't matter to many Slashdotters, but for background it's important to understand that the RIAA and ASCAP/BMI are often at odds with each other. Generally speaking, if you're a "little guy" composer or songwriter, ASCAP/BMI are your friends, and the RIAA is not.
The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.
If I am a composer whose works are performed or recorded by others, ASCAP protects my interests. If I am anybody else, then ASCAP protects the interests of composers from me. ASCAP is just as likely to be attacking me as they are to be attacking the RIAA. For example, let us say that I run a restaurant. In that case, ASCAP are the people who prevent me from allowing my employees to sing the "Happy Birthday" song, or virtually any other song for that matter. If I am a small-time composer or musician whose works are not performed by others, ASCAP are the people whom I live in fear of in case I have the temerity to perform a song I did not write under the very wide umbrella of what constitutes a "public performance".
I am not familiar enough with Canadian CRIA to comment on them specifically.
If you think that anybody fighting for their rights -- whether they're a big media conglomerate, or a poet making $50 a year
Wait, stop right there. "Intellectual property" owners have no rights. They have privileges. Copyrights are granted by the government, which means they are not rights. Real rights cannot be granted by anyone, because something which can be granted can be taken away. Since copyrights are priviliges and not rights, the populace have the authority to direct the government they theoretically control to limit or remove the priviliges that those copyright holders enjoy.
3.2.1.Joke
In Soviet Canada the Government pays the lobbies to influence Law.
Joking aside;
Another thing happened just recently in my neck of the woods that I am really pissed about.
I live in Windsor, Ontario (Across the river from Detroit, Michigan). This past week the 'Hell's Angels' motorcycle club/gang/mafia was in town. The police setup checkpoints on the roads (that they knew the bikers would be traveling along {ingress and egress fromthe club-house}) and took the drivers license + insurance documents of EVERYBODY that drove on these public roads.
The reason: They HOPED to catch some of the bikers that had arrest warrents in other parts of the country!
I was/am LIVID. I wrote the newspaper; called the local radio station, complained to the Local members of Parliment.
We are 1 step away from East-Block communist oppression. I am surprised that they didn't just click thier Jack-Boots and say "Papers! Please!"
**The Hells Angels are considered the largest (and now ONLY) organized crime syndicate in Canada.
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)