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Canada's Music Lobby Buys Government Access

Posted by Zonk on from the they-know-who-you've-been-seeing dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Copyfighting law professor Michael Geist, who previously uncovered financial links between recording industry lobbyists and Canada's Minister of Canadian Heritage Bev Oda (who is responsible for copyright policy), has now identified what big cash donations will get you. He reports that Oda met with the President of the Canadian Recording Industry Association on a monthly basis last year just as the government was preparing copyright reform legislation and Canadian artists were calling for an end to P2P lawsuits. Is it any wonder that Canadians seem likely to lose their fair use rights?"

3 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Don't worry by Bullfish · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The lobby is pissing money down a rat hole. The government is in a minority position and will likely fall in the next few months. Considering that the conservatives have steadily dropped in the polls, they are not likely to be around to put such legislation into effect.

    I imagine in the meantime, they have bigger fish to fry (like trying to survive), than to worry about a politically unpopular move to satisfy record company executives.

  2. Canadian Supreme Court by Imexius · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If I remember correctly hadn't the Canadian Supreme court already decided that downloading music for personal use was within our rights? If that's the case then can't we rely on that case as a precedent to help render this presumed upcoming law void? http://www.cirpa.ca/Page.asp?PageID=122&ContentID= 824&SiteNodeID=66

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    find / -iname life 2> /dev/null Error: Life could not be found
  3. Re:Ummm.... by Pxtl · · Score: 4, Interesting

    RTFAs - she meets with the CRIA but won't meet with any other relevant organizations (such as consumer rights groups or Canadian artists groups).