Behind the Scenes of Canada's Movie Piracy Law

An anonymous reader writes "Michael Geist's latest Toronto Star column features a behind-the-scenes look at how Canada got its movie piracy bill based on internal government documents obtained under the Access to Information Act. Few will be shocked to learn that Hollywood lobbyists provided draft legislation months earlier as part of their barrage of lobbying, though the documents show that advisers to the Minister were skeptical that the proposal would accomplish anything. From the article: 'The industry's lobby efforts were clearly successful. Ignoring the inconsistent claims, the absence of evidence that Canadian films are being affected, the contrary internal advice, and the bracing reality that Hollywood has acknowledged that the U.S. is by far the largest source of illegal camcording worldwide notwithstanding its movie piracy legislation, Bill C-59 is expected to sail through Parliament. In doing so, Ottawa is sending Canadians two messages. The first is what drew the industry standing ovation - unauthorized camcording will not be tolerated in Canada even if it means diverting law enforcement resources from health and safety issues to movie theatres. The second is that private meetings, foreign pressures and lobbyist drafted bills is how law gets made in Canada.'"

Comments

Just another day in the 51st State

[TheGrumpster]

And this is news? Come on, you don't really think Canada (or any other "civilized" country is soverign, do you? What Hollywood (or any big business, for that matter) wants, they get, governments be damned. Face it, the only vote anyone on this planet really has is measured by how much money they have in their wallet.

Re:Just another day in the 51st State

[debest]

I think its more along the lines of "Stephen Harper as his head shoved so far up Bush's ass that when Bush speaks, Harper can see his adenoids".

My favourite version of this quote is, "Stephen Harper is so far up George Bush's ass that he can almost see Tony Blair's feet."

Without the consent of the theatre manager?

[davecb]

The bill, at Bill C-59 says that it's only a crime if the theatre manager says so.

This allows the manager to set his own camera up in the projection room, which is conveient, but not as convenient as running the film through a scanner or the DVD through a duplicator.

Perhaps the drafters think that theatre managers can't be bribed?

--dave

well, now each theatre has at least 2 cops

[1800maxim]

my friends went to the movies on Saturday, and guess what the police is hired to do? The police is hired to check everyone's bag as they enter the theatre to make sure there is no camcorder. That is the most idiotic thing that Canadian politicians did - cave in to a foreign country's lobbying group, at the expense that each teenager and older person has his or her bag examined.

Greater lineups? You bet! However, it's not so much the lineups as the feeling that a little bit of dignity is robbed away from you.