CBC radio show needs your input for question with Minister responsible for Canadian DMCA

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio show Search Engine is soliciting your questions for an interview with Industry Minister Jim Prentice about the upcoming Canadian DMCA legislation, which will give Canada one of the most backwards copyright regimes in the world.

We want to give Canadians one last chance to be heard on this subject before their government moves forward, and that's why we're asking Industry Minister Jim Prentice on to Search Engine, to answer questions posed by you. We have every confidence that when Minister Prentice sees the amount of public concern on this topic, he'll make himself available for a conversation. Submit your questions in the comments.

Link

See also:
Canada's coming DMCA will be the worst copyright yet
Canadian DMCA: how it might have happened

(Disclosure: I am a paid columnist for Search Engine)

• [Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator]

  Cimorene: So send in a question asking why they want to get rid of a mechanism that increases sales.

  Bud Oracle, see also “tort reform.”

  Here’s a free question for any Canadian who wants one: Ask him how many record company executives have claimed that losses due to illegal filesharing are the reason they’ve failed to make their targets.

• [Hugh]

  It’s so frustrating that we have to carve out time to fight these corporate power grabs from our too-busy days, when the control-collectors on the other side have the luxury of working full time at it. I barely have the spare energy to learn about this stuff, let alone take action on it. When did Canada start filling up with lobbyists anyway?

  I guess we do it the way we’ve always done it: a whole bunch of us chipping in a little spare time versus a tiny few of them doing it professionally. Maybe the internet makes our distributed effort a little more effective. I guess we’ll find out.

  I’ll stop grumbling and start emailing.

  One advantage of a minority government is if I can motivate my NDP MP she actually has the option of making a difference.

• [lobby]

  I have no supporting evidence, but I have a feeling that this legislation is a subsection of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) to ‘harmonize’ the trading between Canada and the States.

• [kothz]

  There’s no way we can motivate our MP. Poilievre is staunchly in the Conservative camp. There is no line but the party line. It’s frustrating.

  *beats*thud*own*thud*head*thud*against*thud*desk*

• [Cimorene]

  Given that the RIAA seems to be weakening, what with EMI deciding to significantly reduce their funding, and given that the RIAA and their sister organization the CRIA are the main organizations pushing for DMCA why are we still listening to these organizations and feeding the special interest groups.

  Studies done in Canada suggest that file sharers bought more music then those who don’t share, and the only people who attempted to discredit the study were special interest groups.

  There’s an organization of artists in Canada that include big names such as Steven Page of the Bare Naked Ladies and others who have repudiated the CRIA and are in favour of allowing consumers more freedom.

  The proposed laws hurt creative freedom and put unnecessary restrictions on products that go against the whole idea of being able to own a product and are bad for the average Canadian.

  What possible reason, other then appeasing a special interest group can there be for attempting to enact this type of legislation?

  Past attempts to do so have been met with disgust from the Canadian people and have resulted in the MPs responsible being voted out of office by their ridings.

  Have we learned nothing from the mess of the US DMCA? Can’t we be smarter about our copyright legislation? We were doing pretty well up until now.

  I too intend to contact my MP and I’m wondering if anyone has set up a list or still has a list from last time this type of proposal appeared giving contact information for those people in a position to kill this proposal.

• [bud oracle]

  Why is it always that government allows industry such a heavy hand to control its market yet when the industry screws up it generally gets off without being held to account, even when there is a loss of life involved?

  Is this part of the same strategy the our government uses to hold the citizens especially, certain groups, like natives and the poor to account, while allowing a virtual freedom to operate without laws for its Prime Ministers, ministers of government, public servant, police officers and friends of government who have bought themselves favors?

  In Canada this is just another example of the law of the Jungle, the powerful ruling the weak as entrenched by law all for profit and control of the market limiting other forms of commerce.