Indie record store owner to Hollywood's MP: Get bent!

The owner of She Said Boom, my favorite indie record store in Toronto, has posted a notice in the window of his shop decrying Sam Bulte, the Liberal Member of Parliament who takes huge campaign contributions from the entertainment lobby and then tries to enact draconian copyright laws that mirror the US's worst legislation, stuff that has criminalized tens of millions of music fans, to the detriment of musicians and fans alike.

Here's why: last year, Sarmite Bulte's committee released a report whose recommendations would radically strengthen corporate control over Canadian music, at the expense of the public interest. If enacted, these changes would give major record companies more power to:

– install more invasive 'anti-piracy' software on our computers;
– restrict legal iPod use, and control how and where we enjoy music we have paid for;
– place punitive tariffs on new music uses and channels that don't serve corporate interests; and
– restrict how music fans discover new music by controlling podcasts, music blogs and other legitimate fan activity on the internet.

Sarmite Bulte says that artists support her reforms. This is like saying Wal-Mart employees support low wages and cheap imported goods.

As an independent record store owner and music fan, I oppose corporate control over Canadian
music.

Link,

Link to Online Rights Canada's backgrounder and action-centre on Bulte,

Link to campaign site for Peggy Nash, Bulte's NDP opponent