Canada Fights DMCA-Like Bill

About a year ago, plans were introduced in Canada that would reform copyright there much like the DMCA did in the US. These plans were met with outrage from the Canadian public, including protests, phone calls, e-mails, letters, and faxes to the government. Mike Masnick of Techdirt called the bill the “Entertainment Industry Welfare Act,” saying that Canadian citizens were being sold out in favor of Hollywood’s demands. The politicians who introduced the bill delayed it a few weeks later, hoping that the uproar over the act would die down. Instead, opposition of the bill has grown, inspiring a Facebook group which recruited over 20,000 members in less than two weeks. Calls by the opposition then found their way into mainstream media, and became a fundamental issue among people across the country – something that has never happened in the US.

Masnick says that copyright law has long been an issue concerning only lawyers and the entertainment industry, but that is changing quickly. He references an article he wrote last month about an essay by Cory Doctorow to explain why copyright has become such a pivotal issue in Canada.

Content isn't king: culture is. The reason we go to the movies is to have something to talk about. If I sent you to a desert island and told you to choose between your records and your friends, you'd be a sociopath if you chose the music.

Culture's imperative is to share information: culture is shared information. Science fiction readers know this: the guy across from you on the subway with a gaudy SF novel in his hands is part of your group. You two have almost certainly read some of the same books, you've got some shared cultural referents, some things to talk about.

When you hear a song you love, you play it for the people in your tribe. When you read a book you love, you shove it into the hands of your friends to encourage them to read it too. When you see a great show, you get your friends to watch it too -- or you seek out the people who've already watched it and strike up a conversation with them.

Masnick agrees, saying, “I would go even further than Doctorow does. I'm less concerned about the impact on culture, as I am on the impact on communication itself.“

“The attempt to apply ever more draconian copyright laws may appear to be in the interests of those who have relied on such artificial scarcity for years, but the end result is a significant restriction of economic activity, which harms everyone -- including the companies who are in favor of such copyright laws and enforcement,” he adds. “Purposely limiting a market is a dangerous short-term practice that has significantly negative long-term consequences.”

Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottowa and creator of the “Fair Copyright for Canada” Facebook group, is well aware of these dangers. That’s why he’s put together a film in which he speaks with well-known Canadian “copyfighters” who explain why copyright is such an important issue. The video is available in several different formats, so it can be remixed. Along with the full version below, there is an annotated version and a version which can be subtitled.

I’m glad Canada is fighting this bill. It seems they have learned from the failure of the DMCA. I think Michael Geist has the right idea, but I can’t see his film having much impact, simply because it’s far too long and unappealing to the average person. He shouldn’t need 48 minutes to make his case. It’s a good thing the video is open for editing, because it needs it in order to change any minds.

The bill isn’t dead yet and still threatens the freedoms of every Canadian citizen much like the DMCA did here. It would appear though, that Canada isn’t going to let the entertainment industry have its way this time.

Source: How Canada Fought Bad Copyright Law: Showing Why Copyright Law Matters