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Canada To Introduce Copyright Law Next Week 249

P Starrson writes "A leading Canadian television network is reporting that the Canadian government will introduce copyright legislation next week that will bring DMCA-like provisions north of the border. Amazingly, the Canadian recording industry, which previously praised the reforms, now says they aren't good enough. Canadian law prof Michael Geist cuts through the spin in the pair of blog postings titled Fact and Fiction and CRIA's New Take on Copyright Reform."
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Canada To Introduce Copyright Law Next Week

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  • No Surprise (Score:5, Insightful)

    by IAmTheDave ( 746256 ) <basenamedave-sd@yaho[ ]om ['o.c' in gap]> on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:44AM (#12768094) Homepage Journal
    No surprise that the Canadian music industry isn't happy with the wording. They pushed for this legislation and got it, so now they will push for harsher legislation. It's like a small child that pushes and pushes a parent to see how far they can get and how much they can get away with.
    • Re:No Surprise (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Roger_Wilco ( 138600 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:16AM (#12768473) Homepage

      Don't be so sure it will pass.

      Canada has a minority government right now; at least two parties need to go for it, or it's dead.

      (Yes, we have more than two parties --- it's a democracy! :P )

      • Yeah we have multiple parties, but whent here is a majority government, anything they say goes, since there is nothing to oppose them.

        While I see a lot of stuff getting blamed on Bush, he has to get things through congress and the house as well (I think, I know only a small amount about the US system with their three branchs)

        So sometimes I think that the US system is more democratic in that respect.
      • Re:No Surprise (Score:2, Informative)

        by hal200 ( 181875 )
        Speaking as a Canadian, I'm fairly sure it'll pass. The Liberals are introducing it, and the Conservatives won't vote against it.

        A vote against this bill is a vote against the big media companies...and while we have made significant strides [mapleleafweb.com] in reforming our campaign funding laws up here, lobbyists still have a disproportionate amount of clout with the major political parties in Ottawa.
  • So what happened? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Compact Dick ( 518888 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:44AM (#12768102) Homepage
    I thought Canada was all for fair use? Such a concept would vanish should this come into force.
  • Drat. (Score:2, Insightful)

    Well crap. Here I was hoping I could move to Canada whenever it got too bad here.
    • Re:Drat. (Score:3, Informative)


      I'm thinking about applying for Sealand [sealandgov.com] citizenship, myself...

      ^_^
    • Re:Drat. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by MyLongNickName ( 822545 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:51AM (#12768187) Journal
      Because, of course, things get better when folks just cry and run away rather than staying and fighting.
      • Yeah. That's why all America's heroes are people who stuck with their country no matter what, rather than, when faced with say religious persecution, fleeing to another continent to make a fresh start. Oh, wait.
      • Mod parent -1 Flamebait.
        The US got quite a few of its brighter people back when Carter forgave the many who draft-dodged to Canada.

        It's not "crying and running away" to leave a country where 52% of the country voted for someone who stands against the environment, social change and encouraging peaceful, FAIR trade. The only crying anyone does is when their house is ransacked by the FBI without a warrant and family members are trucked to Guantanamo Bay to rot without a fair trial.

        When the majority of your c
        • Blind patriotism to a country that holds all of your values in opposition is the saddest form of ignorance a person can possess

          1) I doubt this is true. Does the US really hold values entirely in opposition to yours?

          2) Abolitionists risked their lives for their beliefs in a country founded on slavery. You call them "idiots" and "the saddest ignorants". I call them heroes.
          • Abolitionists were not facing corporate rule with the depths of FBI/CIA monitoring that goes on right now. Why don't you try to start a civil war over all of the attempts to curb your rights and freedoms. See how far you get. We'll just get nice snapshots of you in a dark prison cell with welts - if you get lucky.

            The majority (52%) of the US holds enough values in opposition to mine that I have completely changed my path in order to keep from living there.
      • Hey...things will get better by just leaning back and watching the show. That's all you have to do. Mankind will vanish sooner or later, and all will be better.
    • You are welcomed in Mexico! you are still near of your loved ones and you do not have to worry about the Draconian goverment laws!
  • by Scrameustache ( 459504 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:46AM (#12768120) Homepage Journal

    They'll only be talking [milkandcookies.com] about gay marriage in the news, a bill that is also scheduled to pass before summer break.
    • Well Canada is likely to make it easy for homosexual marriages in the near future to have equal grounding with Heterosexual marriages which at-least shows they have respect for the rights of individuals ..
      It will be rather unfortunate if it is used to cover up the Destruction of Canadians rights to Fair Use
  • by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:50AM (#12768175)
    First they implement a tax that specifically redresses copyright violations... then they outlaw what the tax was supposed to pay for.

    You think that media tax will go away despite becoming superfluous?
    • by Anonymous Coward
      In Belgium the same things are happening.

      We have high taxes on blank media (1 euro for a blank DVD) to compensate copyright owners but at the same time the local RIAA (IFPI) equivalent is crying wolf. We even had idiotic local high profile musicians that insisted that blank media are sold for the same price as an audio cd to discourages copying.

      Your right to make a home copy ? How when they are stuffing everything with DRM so that the consumer can't make use of that right.

      And yes that also mean tha
  • by LegendOfLink ( 574790 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:51AM (#12768189) Homepage
    Sorry Canadian brothers, but that's one less thing you can use when trying to make the poor argument to us Americans that we suck.

    Don't feel bad, we have DMCA, the Bush Administration, and The Bachelor, three things so bad that most of the time we feel the need to heavily drink.

    Better luck next time.
    • "feel the need to heavily drink"

      You've also got American beer. So that's FOUR reasons your country sucks. :)
    • I can live with the DMCA, and the Bush administration, The Bachelor however I can not handle.

      But don't worry my American friends! You too can soak in the corrupt power of Jean Chretien & Paul Martin(and their friends). A police service(CSIS) which over-rides all codes in canadian law, and ... and you can get Canadian Idol while you are at it! *drink*

      Did I mention that watching anything on a satellite dish(American and other foreign dishes are also illegal) or cable TV except what's been aproved by t
  • and...? (Score:3, Funny)

    by brickballs ( 839527 ) <brickballs@g[ ]l.com ['mai' in gap]> on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:52AM (#12768206) Homepage

    Canada To Introduce Copyright Law Next Week
    don't they already have one?
  • by crimoid ( 27373 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:55AM (#12768233)
    Hey, welcome to the club.
  • by Stavr0 ( 35032 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:56AM (#12768240) Homepage Journal
    click on Find your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code [parl.gc.ca]
    Input your postal code
    Write letter (no postage necessary)
    • Damn! Mine is Marlene Caterall (Liberal and Martin's lapdog). A hopeless git. Next election I will be voting for anyone other than her anyways. Probably will write something just because.
    • My letter to the Hon. Jim Peterson, ny MP:

      Subject: Copying levy versus the proposed copyright bill

      I'm writing again about proposed changes in copyright law,
      strongly urged by our American neighbors and the record
      publishing industry.

      I was pleased to hear your opinion on the US-like
      misuse of protection measures, and wonder if we're
      going to follow our previous policy of using copying levies
      instead of prohibitions on copying CDs we legally
      own.

      The record industry seems to confuse this with
      indiscriminate file sharing, and is urging amendments
      that would make innocent copiers as liable as persons
      who illegally publish other's works on the internet.

      I urge you to support our successful policy of
      copying levies on CDs, DVDs and extend the
      levies to removable disks ("pen drives") and other
      iPod-like devices), instead of reducing the
      consumer's right to copy their own property under
      the copyright act.

      --dave
    • click on Find your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code

      In the Alphabetical listing page [parl.gc.ca], they list some members of parliament as being "Honourable" (Hon.) and others as not. I didn't realize that they (a) drew a distinction nor that (b) there is such a distinction to be drawn.
      • To the best of my Knowledge, the titles "Honourable" and "Right Honourable" are reserved for members of parliament.

        "Honourable" simply means you have served as a MP before (so the people listed have been simply re-elected).

        "Right Honourable" is reserved for the current and former Prime Ministers.

        People who serve on Cabinet positions or who chair committee's have more say and power, but these things do not show up as a title.

        Medevo
      • In the Alphabetical listing page, they list some members of parliament as being "Honourable" (Hon.) and others as not. I didn't realize that they (a) drew a distinction nor that (b) there is such a distinction to be drawn.

        For those who are wondering, the "Honourable" style [wikipedia.org] comes with becoming a Privy Councillor [wikipedia.org], which in turn is bestowed on members of Cabinet (among others). In reality, members of Cabinet are often no more honourable than their backbench colleagues. :-)

  • How do we protest? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Ubergrendle ( 531719 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @09:59AM (#12768278) Journal
    Can a knowledgable slashdotter help me identify what the best way to protest this legislation will be?

    I want to know about:
    a) What party(s) oppose this legislation?
    b) What formal protest groups exist to thwart this? Are any activities planned?


    I haven't protested since university, but I would make an appearance in a rally for this. I will make donations to well organised groups opposing this legislation.

    Its best to defeat the law before it gets into law, fortunately we have 3 readings to defeat it.

    • by qualico ( 731143 )
      In apathetic Canada we do not protest.

      It's best to just drink beer and let your criminal Prime Minister steal money from you while passing laws that are hopless to enforce yet generate tons of paper as a justification to raise your taxes.

      Seriously, you can't call what we have here a government.
      There is so much corruption and boondoggles, that the average Canadian just does not care about politics anymore, cause they know that any protest falls on deaf ears and the government will continue to do whatever i
    • It works for Italians.

    • You'll get more accomplished if you write a well-worded letter to your MP [parl.gc.ca] than from a rally. All rallies do are make people watching the news think that you're a bunch of whiners that are never happy with anything (which is largely true about protests). See PCU [imdb.com] for my personal take on the whole affair.

      Write your MP. We have a system, and the system doesn't work because no one uses it. Write your MP and tell them that you don't like this, and etc. etc. Write your MP, because they're the ones that are going
      • Dear Asshole,

        I'm tired of voting for people who are supposed to be my representative in the House of Commons, yet end up doing whatever the fuck they please.

        Therefore, you will do as I say, or I will come by your house (which, in fact, is mine, as my taxes likely paid for a good portion of the bloody thing) and proceed to kick your dog, set fire to your mailbox, and generally dispense great misery unto you and yours.

        Sincerely,

        Someone who's tired of self serving, tow the party line, weenie politicians.

        • Someone who's tired of self serving, tow the party line, weenie politicians.

          Toe. Toe the party line. As in "Toe the line, you grunts!"

          Someone who tows the party line is a leader, making changes.

    • by roju ( 193642 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @11:24AM (#12769324)
      digital-copyright.ca [digital-copyright.ca] is a meeting place for people concerned about this. The Petition for User Rights [digital-copyright.ca] was presented to parliament recently. The mailing list [digital-copyright.ca] is active, with draft letters, media analysis, etc.
    • by kwandar ( 733439 )
      In case no one has mentioned it, take a look at the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic [cippic.ca]. Information, action items and petitions on copyright reform.
  • Big fat hairy deal (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Bullfish ( 858648 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:05AM (#12768356)
    The CRIA and RIAA are suffering from the same flawed thinking, that is:

    (1) Coerce/buy anti-copying/downloading/sharing rules from the government
    (2) Consumers will be forced to buy your product
    (3) Profit!

    Well, as DCMA and lawsuits hasn't stopped filesharing in the US, I suspect that any provisions trying to stop it in Canada will have about the same effect. Better and new anonymous methods of downloading will come, and on and on it will go. However, even if they did succeed in stopping sharing etc, the result would more likely be:

    (1) Tougher laws brought in
    (2) Public apathy towards the industry products continues including lack of sales, save the odd star wars type blockbuster (music will always exist, but the days of the mega-star is over)
    (3) Continued financial decline and disinterest!

    The media industries will cry foul over the latest downloading tactic etc, while the public at large continues to not care.

    If you think about it, outside of forums like these, the general public hasn't cared about these issues since the napster days. I don't see that changing.
  • Not all that bad (Score:2, Informative)

    by jscharla ( 144705 )
    Although the new legislation will prevent circumventing digital locks, it still allows copying for personal use. Personally, I don't see this as a big deal. The digital lock thing I can completely understand - as long as they don't take away my rights to use what's mine everything seems to be good.
    • Re:Not all that bad (Score:5, Informative)

      by TheGavster ( 774657 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:14AM (#12768457) Homepage
      Seeings as to exercise your right to make a copy for personal use, you usually have to defeat some half-hearted digital lock (though the actual level of protection is more akin to packing twine). Sure you've got fair use rights, but the recording industry can make you have to break other laws to exercise them.
  • by saskboy ( 600063 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:09AM (#12768399) Homepage Journal
    Please write your MP to stop this bad new law.

    DMCA for Canada

    Please write your MP on this matter. Use my letter below if you don't want to write your own.
    Send your letter for free (no postage necessary when parliament is in session), to your MP at the following address:
    [your MP's name] M.P.
    House of Commons
    Ottawa ON K1A 0A6

    Find their email address, but write by paper mail too. http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/hou se/PostalCode.asp?lang=E [parl.gc.ca]

    Dear Mr. Breitkreuz
    To summarize the issues in this letter:
    1. Internet Service Providers should not be required to keep extensive logs of private and legal online communications.

    2. The government must not stop Canadian citizens from making personal-use copies of their legally purchased software, music, and movie media.

    Background:
    http://pch.gc.ca/progs/ac-ca/progs/pda-cpb/reform/ statement_e.cfm [pch.gc.ca]

    Here is the reasoning:
    The purpose of the Copyright Act is to support creativity and innovation in the arts and culture. To design a new Act on the failed and draconian Digital Millenium Copyright Act of the United States of America, would be a disaster for Canadian culture, and innovation. Also our court system could become clogged with law abiding citizens who make personal use copies of their music, software, and movie collections for no personal financial gain. An implementation of the proposed changes to the Copyright Act would unleash another "Gun Registry boondoggle" onto the Canadian people - creating criminals out of law abiding citizens at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.

    Internet Service Providers like Sasktel should not be made to keep extensive client usage logs for possible future prosecution by various copyright-based industries. I don't want to pay for that system to be put into effect, and I don't think most people do. The phone companies are not forced by the government to record the content of phone conversations, only police can do that with a proper warrant. ISP logs are going to be equivalent to phone-taps, and that's a violation of my privacy. It's doing the job of the police, and is for the sole benefit of an industry basing its profits on an outdated business model that is no longer realistic for the Canadian government to protect.
    It is completely unfair to be paying a levy to artists organizations for purchasing blank CD media to make home-use private copies of legal CD music, and now to also be unable to legally copy the music I've paid for off of Digital Rights Managed CDs. If copying CD music is going to be illegal, why is the government collecting money from the product for an illegal activity? I'm satisfied that the current levy is helping to compensate artists from illegitimate copying, and no new law is required to prevent me and other people from making sensible backups of our legal music, software, and movie collections.

    Your representation in the House of Commons on this matter is greatly appreciated by me, and other supporters of personal liberty and innovation in the arts. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sincerely,
    my name
  • by webzombie ( 262030 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:11AM (#12768421)
    Fair use is alive and well in Canada.

    I pay for the RIGHT to copy what ever the fuck I want on to whatever media I've been taxed on.

    That IS my RIGHT and I could give a shit how many hairs they split. Sharing MY music with my GLOBAL friends is NO different then sahring with my friends down the street. The fact that they claim a physical product must change hands to be considered legitimate sharing is just splitting legal hairs. IMFO

    And according to these same laws, every school in Canada should be charged under the same act they want to charge file sharers with whenever they play "records" at their school dances! Oh yeah... get your check books out kids! No more sock hops! Fuckin' idiots!

    http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/copy_gd _protect-e.html#6 [ic.gc.ca]

    Examples of infringement

    Infringement:

    - reprinting an article without the copyright owner's permission;

    - playing records at a dance without the copyright owners' permission;

    - giving a public performance of a play without permission;

    - photocopying articles for a class of students without permission; and

    - taping your favourite band at a music concert without permission.

    Not infringement:

    - quoting a few lines of the article in a research paper (fair dealing);

    - playing records at home;

    - giving a public performance of a play by Shakespeare (no copyright exists/public domain);

    - obtaining permission from the author and paying a fee to him or her (if requested) in order to use an article; and

    - borrowing a musical tape from a friend to copy onto a blank tape for private use (a royalty payment to the owner of the song rights has been paid when the blank tape was purchased).

    So FUCK THEM and my Karma! It shows how far behind these folks are... they still refer to music on tapes!
    • I pay for the RIGHT to copy what ever the fuck I want on to whatever media I've been taxed on.

      Anything you pay for is not a "right", it's a privilege.

      That said, was that last section in boldface (copying your friend's tape) part of your current Copyright Law?

      • That said, was that last section in boldface (copying your friend's tape) part of your current Copyright Law? Yes, it is. From the Copyright Act [cb-cda.gc.ca]:
        80. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the act of reproducing all or any substantial part of
        (a) a musical work embodied in a sound recording,
        (b) a performer's performance of a musical work embodied in a sound recording, or
        (c) a sound recording in which a musical work, or a performer's performance of a musical work, is embodied
        onto an audio recor
  • IMHO, by being so draconian about it the copyright holders will bring about the very thing they are so afraid of (unfettered digital copying).
  • The **AAs own Everything, Everywhere for all Eternity.(*) Regardless of the creation date! From this day forward, they own EVERYTHING.(**)

    They should be happy with that.

    *)But they can't act on any if it.
    **) Now you know who to call when something's broken. (They get Spammers through copyright violation. Its THEIR 'Niagra' name and THEY can't use it.)
  • RTFA, people (Score:5, Informative)

    by KillerBob ( 217953 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:36AM (#12768720)
    RTFA. It's a *bill*, not a *law*. It's nowhere near passing, it's being introduced to parliament for debate.

    Writing to your MP is a good thing at this point. But let me explain something about Canadian politics: just because a bill gets introduced to parliament does not mean that it actually passes into law. More than that, Parliament breaks up for the summer and any bills that are still on the dock at breakup usually end up getting forgotten for a while when Parliament returns to session and has to deal with important stuff again. On more than one occasion in the past, bills have been forgotten completely and never revisited after the summer break.

    No, I'm not worried. I'm interested in the outcome because I run a website which has been the target of CRIA's advances before, but even if they're ever able to launch a lawsuit, there's absolutely no way they'd win the way the laws currently stand. Even under the US laws they wouldn't win....
    • Re:RTFA, people (Score:3, Informative)

      by Chirs ( 87576 )
      Yep...however this bill has been in the making for a couple years now. The CRIA is pushing for it, it's part of WIPO ratification, etc.

      I doubt they're going to forget about it over the summer.
  • by Anonymous Coward
    The odds aren't good of any bill making it into law if this late in a parliamentary cycle. If the government survives the summer (looking more likely than it did) then we've been promised an election 30 days after the Gomery enquiry reports, an event expected in late fall.

    When the writ is dropped and the house dissolves for an election, all bills die on the order paper.

    It's not particularly likely that a new bill--particularly a contentious new bill--will make it through thrid reading in the house and thr
  • My only complaint (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Mithrandir86 ( 884190 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:41AM (#12768780) Journal
    From the article: "The new legislation will contain rules that will make it illegal to hack or break into the digital locks often used to prevent the copying of movies and software -- although it will remain perfectly legal in Canada to copy a CD for personal use."

    That's the most offensive portion.

    If they're going to make it illegal to share files, they have to repeal those blank media taxes.

    • You'll still be allowed to back up the encrypted files for personal use. You just won't be allowed to *decrypt* them with unauthorized tools.

      --copying DVD files to Linux machine will be OK
      --playing back on windows machine with PowerDVD will be OK

      --playing back on Linux machine with open-source software will be illegal

  • Around 25% (7 million of 30 million) Canadians regularly use file sharing networks. I don't think this legislation will pass 3 readings. There's a minority government in charge right now, and it wouldn't take much to knock them out if this bill fails. I'm quite surprised that they're even willing to take a chance on this one at this point in time. During Chretien's time, there'd be no problem. Now it's a little bit tougher.
  • by Bahumat ( 213955 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @10:57AM (#12768970) Homepage Journal
    Put a voice to the words.

    Use http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/hou se/PostalCode.asp?lang=E&source=sm/ [parl.gc.ca]this link to look up your MP by postal code, and then phone them.

    Be polite, be courteous, but be firm. State, be it via voice mail or directly, that you are in opposition to the upcoming copyright legislation, and hope that your MP will vote in opposition to it.

    (Whatever you do, don't state that "Although I didn't vote for your party...").

    Indicate to them whether or not this is an issue your future vote will hinge on; that will get their attention, guaranteed.
  • by DarthVain ( 724186 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @11:06AM (#12769116)
    Interesting articles. The one thing that I found to be the most intersting is how this is going to work with the legislated media tax that is already in place.

    When it first came out I thought it was wrong, but the government caved to pressure (presumably from the recording industry). Basically if you by CD-R's or writable DVD's you pay a 'media tax' on top of the purchace price (it is included in the price you see, they used to break it down for the consumer). However this is a very stupid tax as the limits are retaded (tax size is based up media storage capacity!), as this also includes things like ipods, and the like. Are CD players, nope. Is general memory, nope. But if a device is basically a big memory stick or HD that plays music, it is taxed. The real evil part of this tax is that it ASSUMES that everyone is a Buccaneer (Yar!). You could buy CD-R's for nothing more than stright data, yet you would be paying a media tax as they assume that they will be used to copy music or something. I am not sure about USB drives, but it would not surprise me if they are taxed as well. Very evil stuff considering out legal system and the whole innocent before proven guilty etc...

    In a slightly unrealted note, this errosion has been happing in Canada for sometime now, under the guise or reasoning that the courts cannot handle the volume. Or that it is too expensive to try every case. An example of this is giving the powers to cities to write parking tickets, which most use maninly as a revune stream (not its intention I don't think). I got a parking ticket in Ottawa about a year ago (not where I live). The short version of the story is: I was never issued a ticket! I get a letter in the mail, saying I owe 40$ for parking tickets. I call the city and try to explain to the the issue, they do not care. Their response is that if I had a problem with it I COULD fight it in court. However, I would have to drive 250km on a work day in the middle of the week at least once, at the cost of at least 400$. Or I could pay the ticket. They warn me if I do not I will not be able to register my car when it comes up. So I can pay 400$ and fight it, or just pay the (and therefore pleading guilty of the offence) ticket of 40$. I paid the ticket, even though it was wrong. Most definitions I read would say this is stright up extortion, but whatever. Just thinking about this whole affair again boils my balls. Anyway enough of this rant. Back to regular programming.

    Civil liberities aside what is really interesting is the recording industry cannot have it both ways. If legislation is passed making downloading and copying music illegal, then they cannot justify having a "media tax" anymore as I see it. You cannot tax an illegal activity (as that legitimizes it). Thats like making the crack dealer, pay tax (or even more funny in Canada, making his crackheads pay GST on their spank). Why not just tax murder while your at it, 10$ a head I say! However once a tax is in place it is VERY hard to get rid of it (GST anyone!), I bet you anything they will what to have both worlds.

    Another of my favorite examples of this lunacy is I once heard a story about a Canadian that got caught selling cocain in Vietnam. The government there, sentanced her to death by firing squad, AND fined her 100,000$. The big joke eveyone was saying was "if I were her, I wouldn't pay the fine". The only differenace here is in Canada, IF they keep both the tax and pass the coyright bill it will be like eveytime you buy media, they convict you, and fine you, and if someday that ACTUALLY catch you doing it, they will try to convict you and fine and/or jail you. So in esasnce its like Canadians paying a mandatory tax on cocain, then if they are caught, fined. So in this case you cannot help but pay.

    Anyway my rant is now very long and makes little sense even to me anymore. I am not sure why I picked all the drug referances, only that they are illegal.

    Anyway thats my 2 cents (or twenty bucks as the case may be)

  • by jcdick1 ( 254644 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @11:07AM (#12769122)
    It is so frustrating to me to see so many governments getting the intent of copyright and patent completely backwards. The power of these two concepts to drive innovation is in their *expiration* and not in their original issue. The idea behind these concpets is that if the creator wants to continue his nice exclusive income, he darn well better come up with something new and cool before the old income dries up.

    Grrr...
    • It is so frustrating to me to see so many governments getting the intent of copyright and patent completely backwards. The power of these two concepts to drive innovation is in their *expiration* and not in their original issue. The idea behind these concpets is that if the creator wants to continue his nice exclusive income, he darn well better come up with something new and cool before the old income dries up.

      This isn't insightful at all, it's backwards. The way copyright and patent law encourages inno

  • Radio? (Score:2, Interesting)

    How come radio is free to share music? How is downloading MP3's from internet any different? If the radio station pays royalities (I think they do) then I can pay royalities myself and start a P2P site. The revenue I generate from ads would go to the music companies and the users can download music for free! Would that be legal?
  • by Anita Coney ( 648748 ) on Thursday June 09, 2005 @11:26AM (#12769348) Homepage
    If the music industry had its way, we'd have to pay every time we hear a song. E.g., on the radio, every time we hum a song, and every time we even think of a song to ourselves.

    Heck, even DJs would be obligated to pay, as they shouldn't be allowed to hear the music for free.

    And double heck, anyone listening to you humming would be obligated to pay too.
  • by Anonymous Coward
    There's a simple reason why the CRIA wants even tougher language now - Graham Henderson.

    When the CRIA first started pushing for copyright reform and DMCA-like provisions, Brian Robertson was at the helm. However, Brian left about a year ago, and Graham left his VP job at Universal to take over.

    I've known Graham casually since his Universal days, and since he became head of the CRIA I've heard him speak a few times...and let me tell you, he's crazy. Graham's main points are usually:

    - the CD is still the
  • stereotype (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Master Ben ( 811962 )
    "If a father or mother gets a notice from their ISP that they might be sued because of the activities of their teenaged son or daughter, you could be pretty well assured that that activity is going to change," said Jay Thomson of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers.

    As if it's just kids that do it.
  • Dear Hon. MP:

    I am deeply concerned about the copyright legislation your government intends to introduce. It's all over the Internet. I find it interesting that the international community is also discussing the consequences of this Canadian bill. Please see this link, for a thorough discussion:

    http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/09/12 3234&tid=123&tid=141&tid=97&tid=155 [slashdot.org]

    As far as most voting individuals are concerned, the entire entertainment industry (especially the movie a

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