Bill C-61 To Return?
(original image found at Wikipedia Commons)
Though we try not to stray into party politics, digital copyright and internet issues are important to everyone. With the federal election a week away, it’s worth pointing out where each of the parties stand on the issue.
We’ve discussed C-61 before, a nasty piece of legislation reform also known as the “DMCA of Canada”. The Bill caused the formation of a number of groups fighting against it, but ultimately died on the table when a federal election was called about a month ago.
Now, with a week to go before Canadians head to the voting booths, the Conservative Party has released its new platform (warning PDF link). Part of that platform appears to be the resuscitation of C-61…
A re-elected Conservative Government led by Stephen Harper will reintroduce federal copyright legislation that strikes the appropriate balance among the rights of musicians, artists, programmers and other creators and brings Canada’s intellectual property protection in line with that of other industrialized countries, but also protects consumers who want to access copyright works for their personal use. We will also introduce tougher laws on counterfeiting and piracy and give our customs and law enforcement services the resources to enforce them. This will protect consumers from phoney and sometimes dangerous products that are passed off as reliable brand-name goods.
Two weeks earlier, prominent Canadian law professor Michael Geist crafted a “Copyright Pledge“, which reads:
Will you commit to a balanced approach to copyright reform that reflects the views of all Canadians by pledging:
1. To respect the rights of creators and consumers.
2. Not to support any copyright bill that undermines or weakens the Copyright Act’s users rights.
3. To fully consult with Canadians before introducing any copyright reform bill and to conduct inclusive, national hearings on any tabled bill.
In the two weeks since he originally released it, the Green Party has endorsed it as a party, and many NDP MPs and candidates have also agreed to it (which is not surprising because they opposed the original C-61). Now a growing number of Liberal MPs and candidates have started to express their support as well. The only national party with no members supporting the pledge is the incumbent Conservative Party.
If copyright in the digital age is an issue you care about, you might be interested to see where all the candidates in your riding stand on the issue.
Consider this a PSA.
I think the NDP will be making some inroads in quebec this jolly season
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