I am writing to express my discontent that the Canadian Government, a government which I believed to be progressive in its views on advances in culture and technology, would table a new copyright bill that is overly restrictive on the way Canadians can legally use their digital property. Furthermore, that the Government would do this without public consultation is even worse.
Copyright was invented to protect creators, but that is not what is being accomplished here.
“Industry lobby groups such as the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) can no more legitimately claim to politically represent the interests of creators than the owners of the major banks can claim to politically represent the interests of people who have bank accounts.” – digital-copyright.ca
These intermediaries (which are neither creators nor consumers) are afraid that they are no longer needed. And it is true, in their current form they are not. For example: Radiohead released their latest album directly to consumers which was a huge success, and sites like amiestreet.com exist to allow independent musicians to be widely distributed and profitable. But rather than accepting change and encouraging innovation into new business models, these corporate intermediaries are stifling the industry in an attempt to secure their place at it’s centre.
What benefits could this bill possibly bring to either the consumers or the artists, the two groups that most need lawful protection?
The US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) had similar intentions and had horrible results. Thousands of consumers have been sued over copyright infringement by these groups in the name of “protecting the artists”, but not a singly dollar gained from these lawsuits have been given to the works in question’s creators.
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a horrible idea that has punished innocent consumers by denying their right to free access to content they legally purchased. Laws preventing individuals from reverse engineering such mechanisms (research falls under Fair Dealing), or discussing and distributing similar research and tools derived thereof (freedom of speech), are in violation of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Culture and technology are developing at an ever accelerating rate. In a world that is advancing as rapidly as it is, the last thing that Canadians need is poorly thought out legislature that is slowing us down. A Canadian version of the DMCA will leave us 10 years behind.
Sincerely,
Patrick McKenna