Copyright bill still in the works

Mike Lake recently commented on copyright legislation. Nothing particularly earth shattering but at least local MPs have not forgotten about the issues. It would have been nice if someone had the chance to speak to Mike Lake from the consumer standpoint instead of just the ESA. I know I attempted to get a meeting.

In case you missed the news the CRTC Online Consultation on Net Neutrality is closing soon. If you have not checked it out I recommend you do while there is still time.

Richard Stallman

I recently went to a presentation held at the University of Alberta. There is a short write up of the talk here and here is a much more detailed write up on the presentation from 2 years ago.

Overall I found the presentation informative... but I did not see any suggested actions that would be useful for those who are upset by the way copyright law is going and want to do something about it. Besides Stallman's suggestion of boycotting products which are unlikely to be boycotted and a generic go to protests message I found the presentation lacking in the crucial area of activism.

It’s about our digital future

Most people know my talking points against bill C-61 and by extension future legislation. It has become quite routine to be able to discusses what I would like to see and what I would not like to see. A harder question to answer is what am I fighting for?

I have recently been reading The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It by Jonathan Zittrain. If any book is able to explain why I am not just fighting against poor copyright legislation but fighting for a digital future it is that book. I many not fully agree with some of the solutions Jonathan Zittrain proposes in the book or the some of predictions he makes but it gets the full scope of the problem.

So, for those of you who wondered what sparked my interest in copyright law I now only have to point to that book. The book gets a bit loaded with heavy concepts in the end but it is worth the effort and I recommend reading it.

Tim Uppal

I have not met Tim Uppal; however, a member of the Edmonton chapter has. Nothing quite like seeing a MP in person while he is campaigning to ask for a meeting.

I honestly do not have anything detailed to talk about besides that he had a meeting specifically on copyright law. It is one step closer towards my lofty goal which is to know that every Edmonton MP understands the pitfalls of excessive copyright. In some respects you wouldn't think it would be that challenging of a goal...

ACTA Response

The Government of Canada is seeking the views of Canadians on the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

Dear Mr. Grajkowski,

Thank you for your email dated December 1, 2008, regarding the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

For any updates pertaining to the ACTA, as well as future public consultations, I invite you to regularly visit the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada’s Trade and Negotiations page (http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux). We continue to welcome views expressed by interested Canadians.

Sincerely,


Consultations and Liaison Division / Direction des consultations et de la liaison Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada / Affaires étrangères et Commerce international Canada

Tumbleweeds

As most people know by now copyright law as been pushed back. I am still trying to get meetings but until I have one to talk about I will post at least once a month with what I have been reading in monologue fashion.

One article I read which interested me speculates about the consequences of the political gamesmanship on copyright law.

It is official that the MPAA wants the U.S. to bully us into (most likely) abusive intellectual property trade policy (Read: Copyright legislation). No big surprises there.

Is Canada becoming a digital ghetto? I don't think it is becoming a "digital ghetto". Lets leave the term "digital ghetto" for countries with ISP filters. I purpose we are becoming digitally backwards. Anyone out there have any better terms for our current digital policy?

Hey! Look at that. The RIAA are still bullying people. Disobeying Court Orders? Check. Suing students? Check. Questionable tactics? Check. Forcing abusive laws? Check.

Edit: Interesting news on Tech Dirt and Ars.

The CRTC interests me. First they ruled on the Bell throttling case. I wasn't ecstatic about the ruling but Michael Geist explained it to me. They then make a ruling that makes me quite happy. The new media hearings is going to be a event to watch. I am cautiously optimistic.

Canadian Blank CD Levy To Increase By Another 38%. *sigh*

My friend discussed about this scheme. I didn't think anyone would actually try it but there it is.

I hope I'm not this bad.

Funny how one of my main topics in a meeting is easily covered by a comic and my fear easily covered in another comic.

I am definitely refusing.

I have no lead up to this comic site besides saying I'm a huge fan. I recommend visiting it often.

...And that is it for now. Come back later for more ranting, more links, and more meeting summaries (I hope).

ACTA Concerns

The Government of Canada is seeking the views of Canadians on the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

Michael Geist does not seem optimistic about the whole thing but I am going to be cup half full. I must admit it is going to be challenging to craft a coherent letter with the information that has been released so far.

The following is the first draft of my letter. Keep in mind I am not a English major. If you see any typos please leave a comment and I shall correct it.

Counterfeiting is a touchy issue and my concerns are with the ordinary Canadian consumer. My fear is that the "effective legal framework" is going to be over reaching and hurt business, artists, and consumers.

Strong intellectual property laws can hurt innovation though frivolous lawsuits and questionable patents. I find this is especially rampant in the tech industry. One quick look at Techdirt shows how intellectual property has been abused so far. My personal favorite is trying to patent the process of patent trolling. What needs to be kept in mind is intellectual property is a form of temporary monopoly enforced by the state with the goal of growing the economy and creating innovation. Having abusive intellectual property laws does not help that goal. I recommend intellectual property laws in moderation.

Any enforcement practice needs to respect peoples privacy. I am strongly against searching laptops at the border because I believe laptops to be a extension of the mind, especially in the business world. People should not be subjected to unwarranted searches under the ACTA.

Criminal enforcement needs to differentiate commercial piracy from non-commercial priracy as well having rules to protect the system from abuse. Without this separation lives can be ruined though expensive and long lasting lawsuits.

The ACTA should not target internet distribution and information technology. Any changes to that area can have far reaching and unpredictable effects which is why exhaustive public consultation is needed before even signing noncommittal treaties.

These are some of my recommendations and hopefully that will be taken into consideration.

Thanks for reading.