07
Feb
2009
Stallman on Copyright Reform Print E-mail
Copyright
Written by Jesse W Kline   

The Canadian government has introduced two pieces of legislation in recent years, which would have drastically altered copyright law in this country. While neither piece of legislation made it into law, it's widely expected that a similar bill will be introduced in the future.

Critics have labeled these bills the Canadian DMCA, as they would have favored the economic interests of content  publishers over the freedoms of consumers. Michael Geist explains why such a bill would be a betrayal:

Because in a country whose Supreme Court of Canada has emphasized the importance of balance between creators rights and user rights, the Canadian DMCA eviscerates user rights in the digital environment by virtually eliminating fair dealing.  Under this bill, the right to copy for the purposes of research, private study, criticism, and news reporting virtually disappears if the underlying content is digitally locked.

Because in a country that rightly promotes the importance of education, the Canadian DMCA erects new barriers for teachers, students, and schools at every level who now face the prospect of infringement claims if they want to teach using digital media.

Because in a country that prioritizes privacy, the Canadian DMCA will render it virtually impossible to protect against the invasion of privacy by digital media companies.  The bill includes an exemption for those that circumvent digital locks to protect their privacy, yet renders the tools needed to circumvent illegal.  In other words, the bill gives Canadians the right to protect their privacy but prohibits the tools needed to do so.

Because in a country that values consumer rights, the Canadian DMCA means that consumers no longer control their own personal property.  That CD or DVD or e-book or cellphone you just bought?  The bill says you now have the right to engage in "private use copying" but not if it contains digital locks.

On Friday, Richard M. Stallman  of the GNU project and the Free Software Foundation came to Vancouver to discuss copyright reform. You can listen to his talk via the player below.

 

 

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 May 2009 13:58
 

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