Slashdot Mirror
U.S. Senators Pressure Canada on Canadian DMCA
An anonymous reader writes "The U.S. copyright lobby brought out some heavy artillery last week as
it continued to pressure Canada to introduce a Canadian DMCA. U.S.
Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins gave a public
talk in which he described Canadian copyright law as the weakest in
the G7, while Senators Dianne Feinstein and John Cornyn wrote to
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to urge him to bring in movie piracy
legislation."
Sometimes I think the US should just leave the rest of the planet alone. Just because "they" think one thing, doesn't mean it is the case...
when in doubt press enter and we'll figure it out later..
I think I can speak for most Canadians when I say:
Please, leave us alone. We can run our own country just fine without you.
WTF is this??? Once again, the American Senators think they can go about policing the world using blatantly wrong informtion that was provided by people who should not be providing information. I am sickened by the level of stupidity displayed by the US's lawmakers. These people are either voted into office (and we all know how unhackable the Diebold and other eVoting machines are), or are placed there by people who have other agendas. What agendas you ask? The lining of their pockets and subjugation of anyone who doesn't agree with them. I think this happened once before in the course of human history. If I remember correctly, I think this empire was called Rome. Or Roman. (And yes, I AM being exceedingly sarcastic at this time, since 0.001% of the US Senators will know what Rome was...) Thankfully, the Roman Empire collapsed on itself when a bunch of crazy people took control. But it started with just one. And right now, the US has a VERY crazy/insane/retarded President in charge. Perhaps this is the begining of the end...??? I sure hope so.
Canada already has somewhat reasonable laws on copyright (there's room for improvement, but there are countries that are far worse). As I remarked on michaelgeist's website on this matter before, all we really need to do is toughen up on our laws regarding recording copyrighted performances at a theatre or other public venue. Canada has an excellent "personal and private use" exemption to copyright infringement that I would hate to see disappear, but people who falsely represent themselves as qualifying for that exemption only to later go and start distributing the work to other people really need to be nailed. Of course, by the time they've left the theatre, it's too late... enforcement becomes impossible unless you stop them from recording it in the first place, and the theatres really need to have the support of the law on the matter.
Right now all they do when they catch people is delete the recording and then kick the person out. The police won't do anything right now since technically "no law is actually being broken".
C'mon Canada! Toughen up!
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
As a Canadian and a copywrite holder I say, you do what you like there, and we'll do what we like here. It's your country, have fun! But this is our country and we'll do as we damn well please.
We have more pressing problems. Social problems, economic and political problems. Copywrite? We've got bigger fish to fry.
The US is a huge net exporter of copyrighted materials. Of course they're going to put the screws to other countries to tighten up copyright laws. Welcome to the real world.
They were apparently criticizing the Canadians for having the strongest civil liberties (in this area) in the G7. I thought the U.S.'s foreign policy was to spread liberty? I'm confused now...
Every week he seems to make a few comments bashing Canada, usually at public events, and typically without any real justification. Some of these comments are patently false, or non-applicable to the Canadian reality, many of them are mean spirited and seem to be designed to damage the historically good relations between Canada and the US. The guy is single handedly responsible for 78% of the anti- american sentiment in Canada.
The rock, the vulture, and the chain
Isn't this the same guy who said that Canada should butt out on Arar being on the no-fly list, because it is an internal US matter?
Hmm.. surely he has the same attitude towards internal Canadian matters, right? Otherwise, he'd just be hypocritical. Right? Oh, wait..
I am the maverick of Slashdot
Dear USA, Please keep your ideas to yourself, and leave my country alone. It's better this way. Just because you're miserable doesn't mean you have to go spoiling things for the rest of us. Sincerely, Canadian
Tis nice to see valuable return on money invested in political "leaders"
It's Dianne Feinstein --- proof that everyone in California is either on drugs or insane. What did you expect?
Personally I think the problem has mostly to do (aside from general human stupidity-in-groups) with how Congressional committee chairmanships are handed out, based on seniority. That's what lets some of the complete numbskulls, like Feinstein, and her equally-obnoxious colleague on the other side of the aisle, Ted Stephens, remain in power: even people that can't stand them, still vote for them, because it would be damaging to their respective constituencies to lose their influence in key (read: "cash cow") committees.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
"It seems to me (and I know I'll get flamed for this) that the US is only trying to protect its exports. This is not an example of bullying or trying to run the whole world."
6 6216
Yes, that's exactally what it is. (Of course, you expected to get flamed!). Do you not recall the Slashdot story, where the claim that movies are generally pirated in Canada was false? The RIAA's own information contradicts that assertion:
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/05/1
So, this is the RIAA, using it's bought and paid for Senators to try to influence politics in another country. Guess how much US Senators like Canadian politicians giving them advice? (Like 'don't go to Iraq'). About the same as we like US 'Ambassadors' telling us what we should do in our own country.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
and I want to apologize for my country's behavior.
Canada - please urge your politicians to tell our politicians to go f*** themselves.
The problem is that the response wont be. Steven Harper has a reputation for being a lap-dog of the US/UK.
The only way to stop Canadian copyright laws being perverted is by taking action. Send letters to your MP, if this becomes a bill in Parliament then see if there's a peaceful protest you can attend. Make the government clearly realise that voters do not want a Canadian DMCA and that current copyright laws (particularly the clauses for 'fair use' this threatens) are good enough.
There is no compelling reason to have a Canadian DMCA. Harper has been deterred from ditching Kyoto, he can be deterred from this too.
I'm going to transform myself into a mighty hawk. Either that or I'll just go and work at Dixons, haven't decided yet.
I used to live in the US, and when I got my driver's license I got summoned for jury duty. Well, you think these idiots would know that a non-citizen has no business dealing in the judicial or legislative process of another country. It's simply not morally right.
But, by the same token, I would ask Senator Feinstein to PLEASE FUCK RIGHT OFF. I didn't serve on jury duty in your goddamned state, so don't ask our Prime Minister to do your dirty work for you.
AMERICA! Fuck yeah! Comin' again to save the motherfuckin day yeah! AMERICA! Fuck yeah!
I'd post the rest of the lyrics, but they're copyrighted.
"I also read that the movie studios are considering delaying the release of movies in Canada to reduce the incidences of movies hitting BitTorrent before they hit the theaters."
So they think that preventing Canadians from paying to see the movies in a theater will encourage them not to download those movies instead?
Oh, sorry, I forgot we're talking about movie studio logic here.
This story was discredited, it's a mess of bad stat's and unfounded allegations that are not supported by the actual facts. The original Canada.com story stated
Thursday, January 25, 2007 As much as 50 per cent of the world's pirated movies come from Canada, prompting the film industry to threaten to delay the release of new titles in this country. (someone note the bolded words, I could write as little as 0 % and not change the meaning of the sentence, why? Because it's a weak garbage sentence that implies far more then it supports.)
The link that you posted was a little more bald in it's assertions, but not really that different. Try reading this link to the Toronto Star to see where reasonable minds dispute the "facts" presented by the American Media Companies.
The rock, the vulture, and the chain
The article you are quoting says
So combine
1) the initial reports claiming 50% of movies were camcorded in Canada with
2) the threat of delayed movie releases in Canada and
3) demands for Americanized copyright protections in Canada
And you get a perfect example of bullying.
...please tell Senator Feinstein what you think of the DMCA and her support of it.
http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html
Never has it been more true than during this shining era of Bush Administration that the world at large has been inclined to take America's advice to change, to "jackboot themselves into line", as an indication they are doing something right. This will only make us Canadians way more likely to loosen, rather than tighten, legislation.
The thing about your World Stage move from friend to bully is that nobody will take you seriously any more, not unless you pull out your big stick. For 'friends' this stick has always been your deep pockets, but thanks to your recent choices in leadership has been whittled away.
Before Bush: $1 US = $1.68 CDN. Today: $1 US = $1.16 CDN (and its been as low as $1.10).
Not such a big stick anymore...top that off with your rough foriegn policy and the increasing ease of global commerce, and suddenly we don't really care so much anymore when you get mad at us.
And, to be clear, dear Americans, this isn't "the politicians" talking, this is America talking...you vote for them, you let them run your country, they are your voice as surely and purely as anything you say yourselves. Only citizens of a dictatorship get to cry innocent.
Sooner or later you guys are going to have to take back what your elected weasels have taken from you. Until then, come on up North, we'll watch some downloaded movies, smoke some fine Cuban cigars, do some online gambling, throw rice at a couple of ladies getting married and freeze our asses off (hey, it's still Canada).
From TFA:
"It's not some effort to protect some high-paid Hollywood star or studio."
Really? Further along in TFA, it says quite plainly (with emphasis mine):
"The film and music industry lobby asked Schwab to add Canada to a "priority watch list" of countries that have failed to stem piracy."
Of course it's to protect "some high-paid Hollywood star or studio."
To my Canadian friends: Resist, resist, resist. Feinstein's the biggest MPAA/RIAA whore in our Congress. I've written (okay, typed for e-mail; maybe that's the problem) this idiot more times than I can possibly remember to protest her backing of various obnoxious things (broadcast flag, PERFORM Act, etc.) to no avail.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, write technology blogs.
Ok please anyone who knows who to call in Canadian Parlement to tell them that no US Canadians DO NOT want the complete screwup is the DMCA in the US. Considering its done nothing but screw up people lives in the US, why on gods green earth would Canada even think about getting it. so come on who do I call, mail, run up and speak to ??
Considering that US Ambassador David Wilkins' only argument is that Canada's copyright laws are the weakest in the G7, suppose that Canada reinforces their copyright laws as a result. David could then talk to another country, telling their government that their copyright laws are now the weakest and that they must do something about it. Repeat four more times for the remaining countries.
This looks to me like a worldwide RIAA/MPAA waiting to be unleashed. That is, if Stephen Harper accepts this.
P.S.: TFA is really short; what's so informative in it?
I think you might mean the MPAA, not the RIAA ... but your point is well taken. Regarding whether Canada is a major source of pirated movies, did you not read the reference article I provided?
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
Yes, I agree; this is blatantly a statement.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/03/05/barenaked-lad ies-new-album-free-no-drm-now/
absolutely how the bushleaguers do business in every way.
it would have been more entertaining if they watched "Billy Jack" instead of "the Godfather" during their formative years.
last weekend flipping the cable remote......
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Why does it seem like the only effect of the '06 election is that the payoffs go into a different set of pockets?
[Insert pithy quote here]
It also produces Enron, Worldcom, Martha Stewart and George W. Bush. It's just like anywhere else, lots of good, and lots of bad. I don't have a particular hate-on for the US, I just think it's sad that what many in the US consider to be very bad, one-sided legislation which violates most of the notions of copyright that have existed since the 19th century is now to be exported to other countries, to protect groups notorious for creative accounting (what, our $500 million at the box office LOST money, honest) and for ripping off artists (just sign on the line, Mr. Diddley, and here's your hundred bucks).
It's meaningless, of course. The digital cat's out of the bag, and the protection schemes are busted almost as fast as they're made. It doesn't matter how many Congresspersons, Senators, Members of Parliament, Prime Ministers and bureaucrats prostitute themselves, the business model that the movie and music industries have used is going extinct.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
30M Canadians includes kids too, which represent a fair portion of the population. Statistics Canada says family size is about 3.3 right now. So that's 30B for ~9M families, or 3300$/family.
So piracy means every single family - poor and retired folks included - 275$/month worth of entertainment, every single month, year-round? Ludicrous.
Yes, piracy has cut in my spending somewhat (not buying crap not worth buying anymore, but I still support my favorite artists), but it's not like I was even spending that much in the first place, even if you include things like cable TV and Netflix.
Please keep up your heavy-handed and insulting efforts to force Canada to change their laws. Where a gentler, more nuanced approach using the Canadian copyright interests might have succeeded, this sort of bullying is likely to inspire Canada to resist, and poisons the well for future lobbying attempts. May your tyranny always be tempered by incompetence.
Really I think what's going on is completely backwards. Canadian MPs and Senators should be lobbying the American congress and senate for looser copyright laws. Encourage the the United States to switch from its current witch hunt lawsuit enforcement system to instituting blank media levies or something similar.
Oh, a lesson in history from Mr. I'm my own grandpa.
Not quite. Really close, but not quite. Dave's the Minister for International Trade. You'll want your local MP or the Heritage Ministry. Your local MP may not care that much about you. I'd write to them, sure, but CC them the letter that you're sending to the Heritage Critics.
In Canada, we actually have a group whose job it is to criticize the actions of the ruling party. We call them "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition". It is their job and duty to ensure that the ruling party doesn't get too far out of hand.
The Heritage Minister (for Copyright stuff, including CCRA fees) is The Honourable Beverley J. Oda. You know how we've got a minority government and a multi-party system? Well, poor ol' Bev has no less than THREE people watching and critiquing her every move.
Charlie Angus, NDP Heritage Critic
Ms Christina Keeper, Liberal Heritage Critic
M. Maka Kotto, Bloc Heritage Critic
You may want to let those critics know that:
1. You're concerned about the recent lobbying around Bev,
2. You feel that the critics should be ever watchful about how American interests are attempting to take over Canada's sovereign rights and heritage.
3. Having American companies dictate when Canadians can use their equipment or listen to Canadian music is unconscionable.
M. Kotto will likely set Bev on fire. Just make sure you write in French.
---
ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
Whats long and pointy and hangs between Bush's legs?
Harper's tie...
It might be interesting if Senate and House legislators were to have all of their bank accounts (foreign and domestic) audited, pre election, post election, during term, after term. Oh, let's not forget the President's, and all of his cabinet member's accounts as well...
It might, just might, get rid of a lot of the "corporate influence" that seems to run through currently.
Who is general failure, and why is he reading my hard drive?
Goose and Gander time:
b ackground-en.asp ..."A NAFTA Extraordinary Challenge Committee (ECC) agreed with Canada and unanimously affirmed the original NAFTA Panel's finding that the U.S. International Trade Commission had no basis on which to find that the U.S. industry was threatened by injury."...
c fm
i es/2005/07/25/story7.html
Despite WTO and NAFTA decisions supporting Canada (which the US ignored in typically arrogant fashion) It took 10 years to create a new softwoods trade pact to stop excessive tarrifs on Canadian softwood imports to the US:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/trade/eicb/softwood/
You can probably thanks Georgia-Pacific and their ilk for that.....
The US also chose to ignore NAFTA (which they themselves pushed upon Mexico and Canada as benefitting all of NA) is order to keep Mexican cement out of the US (until they didn't have enough local product due to post-Katrina reconstruction)
http://www.thebta.org/news/newsreleases/12162005.
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stor
Canada has had some interesting ideas regarding copyright and fair use which should not be trampled by the copyright holders who seek to enslave the elements of popular culture. USians make the mistake of seeing Canada as a miniUS, but from what I have seen is that their society has a lot of Liberal European ideas about individual rights which the US would be wise to consider if they were'nt ponied up to the trough of the copyright cartels..
-I'm just sayin'
Harper is (ideologically) close to George Bush (but infinitely smarter).
That said, they'd need do something about the fair-use rights consumers have (you can make a private copy of a music CD that you borrowed) and stop charging the tariff on the blank media we currently pay. That or work it into the system.
Canada does a lot of things to keep the US happy. Most Canadians aren't against marijuana, and while there are laws in place, being caught we substantial quantities rarely amounts to much more than a slap on the wrist.
Unfortunately, the only thing more diverse than our respective takes on guns, drugs and fair-use-media is the size of the two economies. Sometimes Canada has to pay lip service to something that we'll never take action on. This is probably going to end up as one of those issues.
Canada has Public Domain Day, while America does not. This should, even by itself, be a source of embarrassment for Americans. Every year that goes by wherein our corporate masters clutch their cultural assets ever tighter to their collective chests is another year of shame.
Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. --Seneca