Slashdot Mirror
Justification For Canadian Copyright Reform Revealed
An anonymous reader writes "Michael Geist has used the Canadian freedom of information act to
obtain a secret
ministerial document on Canadian copyright reform that provides the
government position on virtually every controversial issue from last
year's Bill C-32. The government has no good explanation for its DMCA
approach and calls provisions requiring the destruction of course
materials part of an 'essential balance.' On the U.S. piracy watch
list, it says 'Canada does not recognize the validity of the Special
301 process and
considers it to be flawed. The Report does not employ a clear
methodology in its country ranking, as it relies on industry
allegations rather than empirical evidence and analysis.'"
Canada does not recognize the validity of the Special 301 process and considers it to be flawed. The Report does not employ a clear methodology in its country ranking, as it relies on industry allegations rather than empirical evidence and analysis
They're really surprised that a U.S. government report is based on corporate whoring rather than empirical evidence and analysis? Wow, Canadians really ARE naive.
As to the question of why Canada is adopting anti-circumvention measures (and other provisions) similar to the DMCA, well that's an easy one. They're signatories of the 1996 WIPO Copyright Treaty. You remember that one, don't you? That's the treaty that a very tiny handful of people (including myself) were decrying fifteen years ago while everyone else was completely fucking ignoring it and its implications. Yeah, that's the same treaty that the vast majority of you probably still don't even know exists (much less that your country quietly signed it right under the press and public's radar). Not that I'm bitter or anything.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.