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Delays to Canadian DMCA Could Doom Act
Jabbrwokk writes "Michael Geist reports legislation to create a Canadian version of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act has been delayed again, possibly because of massive public outcry, and possibly even because of opposition from the industry itself. Canada's biggest ISPs have banded together to oppose the proposed new legislation and suggest their own solution, which include allowances for expanded fair dealing, private copying, no liability for ISPs and legislation that concentrates its wrath on commercial pirates instead of penny-ante downloaders and seeders.'"
Imagine, proposing laws that might actually be fair and balanced? What will those crazy Canucks do next?!?
I know you've been lobbying for years to get me to move up north. The nice people, clean air, beautiful outdoors, universal healthcare, and now apparently a somewhat more laissez-faire approach to copyright law. Look, maybe if you rig the election to put Hillary Clinton in the White House, I might consider moving.
or I wish it was that simple, then we could all chip in $10 and get D.C. flooded with the stuff. Something in Canada seems to be affecting their politics. If we could bottle it I'm certain that an American entrepreneur could make money off of it. Whatever it is, the US desperately needs some of it... well, lots of it.
I've been pleasantly surprised how the Internet has been affecting politics in the US lately, and I hope that it's a long term ongoing effect. I hope that WHATEVER it is in Canada is something that spreads southward like those geese they have, or something.
Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
Your bribe isn't large enough. Please supply more money and we'll find reasons to fold on our constituents.
Regards,
Canadian Parliament
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
If the law were fair, making a copy of any copyrighted work on media bought in Canada would be totally legal.
Imagine if Americas politicians listened to massive public outcry.
http://www.copyrightreform.us/
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
Yes, a copyright levy is collected on CD-Rs and other media to compensate artists for personal copies of musical works, which is permitted under the Copyright Act. If I borrow a friend's music CD and copy that CD on to media purchased under the levy then I have broken no law. The caveat is a person must make the copy for themselves; you cannot make the copy for a friend and then give it to them. Of course, there is absolutely no way of determining this.
I remember when the levy first came out - a lot of larger retail stores, like "London Drugs" and Staples figured it would make people stop buying blank media, so they started paying it for the customers. In my area, blank media is priced about the same as it is in most stores across the border, so I don't think the stores ever stopped paying the levy.
.. why not? Because of safe harbor. Look for new acts to change the way safe harbor works, or to remove the notion that it ought to exist.
Apparently, the same band of ISP's (and others) mentioned in the article is also proposing that this levy be eliminated:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/02/13/tech-copyright.html
I am tremendously proud of Canadians for standing up in the thousands to let it be known they do not support the adoption of the failed copyright regime suffered by citizens the United States. Our action has been essential to preventing the adoption of this law - so far.
But we have also been very lucky. The previous government introduced a bill (admittedly not as bad as what is reported to be in the current plans). An election was called before it could become law. Timing may again be on our side: the current minority government is likely to fall in the near future. If so, the clock would probably be reset.
For us to really win this, we need meaningful consultation (i.e. where we not only talk, but the government listens) to ensure the views and interests of all Canadians are taken into account. Very few politicians understand why most Canadians would care - I suspect many of them are not quite sure what to make of the current outcry. Until recently, media stories seldom even reported that the issue had another side. Until our politicians acknowledge the significance of copyright and the public passion over the issue, we must keep fighting.
I think your description is somewhat idealized. There are plenty of ways to use money to influence politicians. I believe several have left public office for plum jobs in industry, for example - often with businesses connected to their job in government. For them, reelection didn't matter.
Was it DMC and they added the A?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Of minority government in the morning.
It's great having all the political parties on such a short leash.
Before that law was passed, not many people cared too much about copyright. Not even geeks. But the law was so badly designed, and so biassed in favour of the media cartels that suddenly everyone took an interest. Copyright is a major matter to quite a few people. Every time any change in copyright is suggested that is in any way similar to DMCA, there's huge opposition.
Kind of an unintended consequence of the law the media cartels wanted.
Kudos to Weird Al
In Soviet Canukistan ISPs lobby for rights for YOU!
I remember sigs. Oh, a simpler time!
I'm not trying to excuse the U.S. I'm just skeptical of my own country's virtue.
There is an additionnal factor in Canada that is extremely different from the US, and which may very well trigger a massive civil disobedience for an eventual CDMCA: multiculturalism (that is, no "melting pot").
Immigrants are encouraged to retain their culture; there is no definite effort to force immigrants into making them into WASPs. So, ethnic communities are not something marginal (go see the chinatown in Toronto for a good example).
When all those people will be told by the law that they cannot have non region-1 DVD players in order to watch (legally-purchased) movies from their country of origin (China, India, Philippines and even -gasp!- Britain or, heaven forbid, France), they will make sure that in the future, Hymiewood* will never again tell them what they can watch at home.
(After extensive discussions of that subject with my lawyer, it boils down that Parliament can never prohibit non region-1 players because watching a foreign movie cannot be by any remote and twisted interpretation of any kind of law whatsoever be construed as being contrary to the public good; so it is quite likely that such a provision will be struck down by courts).
* Yeah, I say "Hymiewood". I'm sick and digusted over the jews having total control over the US movie industry; this means that they can fuck with our minds, which explains why the US is such a staunch supporter of the zionists in middle-east, which is one of the primary reasons why that region is so fucked-up.
Canadians will not respect any DMCA type law anyway. Simply put, Canadians do not recognize corporate America's right to IP.
"Mr. Mulroney can you show us how thick the brown envelope was?"
I guess you forgot that Bush maimed the US economy and devalued its currency.
Practise Safe Government: Use a Kingdom!
Sorry, the Bloc doesn't count. National political parties in Canada need to represent the interests of Canadians in ALL provinces. They also have to at least make an attempt at running candidates in all ridings across the country. (So yes, I very much consider the Greens a national party.)
The Bloc is not a NATIONAL political party. They may be a major one since catering to the whims of Quebec is aways a factor in getting anything done in parliament, but they're definitely not a national party and never will be.
despite all efforts, multinational corporations have corrupted the legislative process up here too
imho, the world-wide rising tide of affluence is swamping the few remaining ethical high spots
I am driving in a toilet, you insensitive clod!
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
4 Actually:
Conservatives
Liberals
NDP
Bloc Québécois
Unfortunately, we blew our chance to fix the system. So we're stuck with a system where a party that got 10.5% of the popular vote has 16.5% of the seats while one that got 17.5% of the votes has less than 9.5% of the seats (not to mention the Greens with 4.5% of the votes and zero seats).