Canadian DMCA Proposal About To Die 186
An anonymous reader writes "Like the previous Bill C-60 before it, the proposed Bill C-61 that would bring DMCA-like laws to Canada is poised to die on the order table, never to receive a vote, as the current minority government falls. An election call is expected in days. Everybody expects that some form of these laws will be back yet again (third time's a charm?). There are too many interests pushing for change to let it go. But here's a chance for Canadians to influence politicians about it in an election campaign, and hopefully strike a better balance. And for those of you in the rest of the world who are laboring under a DMCA-like copyright law, let's hear your stories about why such laws are a good or bad idea, and if bad, how you would amend the law to make it tolerable. With the polls probably on Oct. 14th, Canadians will be looking for a few good ideas."
As a previously loyal conservative voter (Score:5, Interesting)
As a previously loyal conservative voter, I cannot vote for the conservatives this time largely due to C61. I have been thrust, unwillingly, into the arms of the NDP as they are the only one of the three major parties in Canada with a rational position on the subject. This bill proposes to make a criminal of me and virtually everyone I know.
I will be donating money and volunteering my time to ensure that the conservatives do not attain a majority.
That and Harper and Prentice are both industrial strength douchebags. Both of them can go straight to hell as far as I am concerned.
Make it tolerable? (Score:5, Interesting)
Make it tolerable ... By rejecting it and rolling back copyrights to their original limited lifespan of 14 years after registration. (Although I don't mind the automatic copyright granted which should last for no more than one year pending registration, nor the application/grant of one extension for another 14 years)
Oh, and I would increase registration requirements and a provision to provide library copies with actual submissions in open source storage formats completely free of DRM.
IOW, the only tolerable DMCA is a dead DMCA.
Oh well... (Score:5, Interesting)
Joking aside, she did write me back a with a proper letter and said she was against the bill and would vote no, so I suppose I should get off my ass and vote for her party in this election? (The NDP if you're wondering).
The amendment to tie circumvention to actual... (Score:4, Interesting)
If you tie anti-circumvention to actual infringement rather than blanket-ban it, that's a proper balance.
This would mean tools which meet the betamax standard for substantial non-infringing uses could still be produced and marketed.
among those tools would be region free dvd players, mod chips, etc.
Re:Viva minority governments (Score:5, Interesting)
Precisely. That's why we have the concepts of majority, minority and coalition governments. I prefer minority governments for exactly the outcome we have here-- Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition actually has the chance to keep shit like this from steamrolling through, when the ruling party doesn't have enough seats to overwhelm the opposing vote.
Geez, that didn't take long. (Score:1, Interesting)
Feels like just yesterday I watched the conservative government overtake the liberals. Now we have to go through another election? Yeesh.
Is it just me, or do most Canadians not really seem to care about elections? I've never heard anyone seriously discussing Canadian politics. I have coworkers who can ramble on for hours about Obama vs. McCain, but never have I heard people really debate issues on our side of the border.
Re:Oh well... (Score:4, Interesting)
I wrote mine (James Rajotte, Conservative). I asked him why this bill criminalized fair use, exactly how he proposed to enforce it while upholding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and how it looked like suspiciously like everything the American recording/movie industry lobbyists asked for.
Got a nice form letter back saying it was a "made-in-Canada" solution that "protected consumers". So, making me a criminal for watching a DVD on my linux-based laptop is protection? I think I'll do fine on my own, thank you.
Despite Rajotte winning this riding by about a 30% margin the past few elections, I guess I'm voting Green.
Re:As a previously loyal conservative voter (Score:5, Interesting)
I'd moderate you up, but I have more to say.
Just remember that this is the Conservative Party is the one that is modeled after the Republican Party in the United States. Not all of the the philosophies, but in operation. The have been in constant election mode and that means that they put their partisanship before any real governance.
This includes things like Bill C-61. If you are a Canadian and you are reading this site you should know what and how Bill C-61 is and how it can affect you. It is dead simply because of a quirk in politics, not because it died in any readings. The Conservatives can and will reintroduce a third bill like C-61 simply because they can. They are in line with 'big business' and lobbyists at the expense of your average Canadian. If you allow the Conservatives to gain a majority then they will ram a successor to C-61 down you throats and you have NO ONE but yourselves to blame in allowing this to happen.
Just remember that this is the governing party that has allowed an innocent man (Maher Arar) to be renditioned and tortured in Syria via the United States on poor and mistaken evidence that he was a terrorist, and then tried to cover it up by denying any fault. What makes you think that a government that would allow this would give any consideration to average Canadians about criminalizing downloads?
You have a little more than 30 days to get the word out that the Conservative Party is not out for any citizen's interests but is totally willing to follow the will of corporate interests, the largest of which are headquartered in the United States. Funny how Bill C-61 looked like the DMCA...
Re:Viva minority governments (Score:4, Interesting)
I like to think that I'm a reasonably well-informed and educated person. I take an interest, greater or lesser, in a great many things, including politics and the world around us.
I have, in several elections, gone to the polling station, taken my ballot to the little booth and after unfolding it, I re-fold it and return it to the clerk for her to put into the ballot box. I vote, but I make no mark on the ballot at all if, in my opinion, no candidate is worthy of receiving my vote.
And I am Canadian.
Re:Viva minority governments (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Viva minority governments (Score:4, Interesting)
First of all, I am not a Canadian. Nor am I an American.
In fact, I am not even a native English speaker.
Furthermore, a declined or an invalid ballot is subsequently ignored. If 10% of the population cast such ballots, they will not get 10% of empty seats to represent them. So please do not flame me.
Re:Blame Canada, Blame Canada, .... (Score:2, Interesting)
There is one good part of the DMCA: The Safe Harbor stuff that makes ISPs not liable for content their users upload. Now, it just plain seems obvious to me that ISPs aren't responsible for policing their users, so I'm not sure if a law stating that is really necessary. But what is obvious and common sense isn't always what the law interprets. So it might be a good thing to have.
Re:Blame Canada, Blame Canada, .... (Score:1, Interesting)
Dear Canadian AC,
The special interests also shoved through a "Blank Media Levy" here. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that you can't use copyright law to ban a device (like the VCR) that has a significant legitimate use, there were reportedly threats to sue anyone who imported a DAT recorder, to the tune of $1 billion or more.
This led to copy protection (SCMS), AND recorder tax, AND blank media tax, on all standalone consumer digital audio recording devices. Computer accessories were explicitly exempted from this nonsense, and the new law was billed as preventing anti-technology lawsuits, but that didn't stop the RIAA from unsuccessfully using the new law to try to kill a computer-dependent MP3 player (RIAA vs. Diamond Multimedia). Following the RIAA's court loss, "voluntary" DRM (SDMI, Windows Media DRM, iTunes/iPod DRM) appeared.
What we need here in the States is a repeal of
* the copy protection and tax provisions of the AHRA
* the mandatory MacroVision provision of the DMCA
* the anti-circumvention clause of the DMCA
* any law or regulation requiring devices to honor other copy protection or DRM (e.g., broadcast flag)