Stand Against New Canadian Copyright Bill
June 18th, 2008 | Comment | Personal
I don’t usually get all activisty on things, but there is a new Copyright law that got proposed on the 12th of June that is just insane enough to get me off my chair. If it passes the very concept of mixtapes is punishable by serious fine of $500 for any song downloaded. Bill C61 is so strict that it would be illegal to rip a CD you actually own onto your laptop or ipod. This is insane. I just emailed some folks, maybe you want to to.
Even if you’re not Canadian you can get involved. If this bill passes I will stop mixtaping. This hurts non-Canadian with copyrightten materials. Take a Stand!
More information:
Defective by Design Bill overview – http://www.defectivebydesign.org/fight-the-canadian-dmca
Copyright for Canada – get the email addresses of your MP and a letter format http://www.copyrightforcanadians.ca/
If Applicable Email your MP and: ‘Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca’; ‘Minister.Industry@ic.gc.ca’; ‘Verner.J@parl.gc.ca’; ‘pm@pm.gc.ca’
The Bill C-61 – http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3570473&Mode=1&Language=E
Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6315846683
This is the templated letter I emailed:
Title: Please Stand Against the New Copyright Bill
These recipients will be CC’d on your email:
The Honourable Jim Prentice P.C, M.P.
5th floor, West Tower
C.D. Howe Building
235 Queen St.
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5
The Honourable Josée Verner, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Heritage
25 Eddy Street
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M5
I’m a constituent who has been following recent developments in Canadian copyright law. I’m concerned that the Copyright bill presented by the government on June 12th goes too far in outlawing the lawful use of copyrighted material, and does not take into account the needs of consumers and Canada’s creative community who are exploiting the potential of digital technology. I’m disappointed that this bill adopts an American approach to digital copyright laws, instead of crafting a Canadian approach.
Canada’s copyright laws need to advance Canada’s interests. This means copyright laws that respect ordinary consumer practices, such as unlocking cell phones and copying the contents of purchased DVDs for use in video iPods. The current bill outlaws these practices. This means copyright that facilitates the work of Canadian creators, such as documentary filmmakers, who instead find that this bill outlaws the use DVDs as source materials for their films. This means we find made-in-Canada solutions to the challenges of file-sharing, such as consideration of the P2P proposal of the Songwriters Association of Canada. Instead, this bill paves the road to importing the consumer file-sharing lawsuit strategy that has failed so spectacularly in the United States. Canada deserves better.
Please ensure that this bill really is made for Canadians by allowing all Canadian stakeholders a say in its final contents. That means meaningful consultation in the coming months, and opening up Canada’s copyright policy to more than just the special interests that lobbied behind the scenes for this law. As my MP, I urge you to represent my interests in the copyright debate.
