Canada's Heritage Minister ready to bring back DMCA-style copyright, throwing out results of copyright consultation

Michael Geist sez,

Since his appointment as Canadian Heritage minister in 2008, James Moore has carefully crafted an image as "Canada's iPod Minister." Young, bilingual, and tech-savvy, Moore has expressed regular support for the benefits of the Internet and is always ready with a quick "tweet" for his many followers. Yet according to the scuttlebutt throughout the copyright community, Moore may be less iPod and more iPadlock. As the government readies its much-anticipated copyright package, Moore is said to be pressing for a virtual repeat of Bill C-61, the most anti-consumer copyright proposal in Canadian history.
The copyright bill may still be several weeks away, but reintroducing Bill C-61 with only minor tweaks - a bit more flexibility for recording television shows or transferring content from one format to another - would leave in place the core provisions of the bill that generated widespread discontent. These include U.S.-style legal protection for digital locks known as anti-circumvention legislation and a rejection of the flexible fair dealing approach that attracted considerable support during the copyright consultation as a balanced, technology-neutral solution.
Recent experience indicates that the copyright bill isn't final until tabled, but after spending the summer of 2008 fighting Bill C-61 and the summer of 2009 revisiting copyright reform as part of the national consultation, copyright is unquestionably on the public radar screen. Canadians had been promised a forward-looking, technology neutral approach, but they may soon find that someone has hit the delete button on those promises.

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore: The iPadLock Minister? (Thanks, Michael!)

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I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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The Snowden Principle

boingaddict

at this point, i say fuck it, go ahead, make archaic rules, i’m just not going to buy anything that has copyright written all over it, i will pirate pirate and pirate again….support only independent artists or motion features…..and a big FUCK YOU to record corps. I’m sure alot of other people will do this too…..
Yamara

“iPadlock”!

I like the cut of his jib.
Yamara

(Geist’s jib. Not Moore’s.)

(Moore seems to suck at jib.)
Anonymous

The current issues with the government (specificly the upcoming speakers ruling [later this week]) could cause collaspe before this bill can even get to second reading.
Assuming, of course, that DEBill doesn’t repeat it self.
And the Cons don’t win another term.
Melanie

As a Canadian who submitted comments to the consultation I find this very disappointing and frustrating. Last summer was a great example of the democratic process at work. They said they would listen, and afterwards they said they heard us. The Canadian people felt valued, that their opinions mattered. And now this.

If talk isn’t working, maybe it’s time to progress into other means of communication. Perhaps we need a peaceful sit-in around parliament.
- hassenpfeffer
  
  Melanie, didn’t you get the memo? Democracy has suffered a worldwide death. Corporate oligarchy is all that remains.
the_headless_rabbit

Melanie:
I’m in the same boat you are.

I’m an artist, so I know first hand how frustrating and restrictive these oppressive copyright laws can be. I submitted my letter, and I still haven’t seen it posted.

The really sickening part is how these companies say they are pushing for more draconian copyright laws ‘for the artists’ I hate how these companies insist on putting words in my mouth!
The debate should be between artists and their audience.
The companies should have no part in this debate; they are middle-men, nothing more.

their is an old saying that gets passed around a lot
their are 3 ways to defend your rights:
1. soap box –> 2. ballot box –> 3. ammo box

lets be thankful that although stage 1 has apparently failed, we still have stage 2 ahead of us.

This bill with hopefully die with the next election.
- Anonymous
  
  It’s Soap Box -> Ballot Box -> Jury Box -> Ammo Box, btw.
boingaddict

can we skip to ammo box?
scriptedfate

Woah, woah, woah. Before we throw this guy under the bus, let’s look at the facts…

He’s been taking pro-consumer, pro-citizen views in all sorts of public fora. He’s acknowledged as being up-to-date, and good at his job.

And then “scuttlebutt” says that he may be reintroducing C-61? Scuttlebutt?

That’s a little thin to base a character assassination over.
vitruvian

Regardless of how bad a bill comes out of this guy’s consultation, doesn’t Parliament still have to, y’know, vote on it? If it doesn’t pass, it doesn’t matter how bad a proposal it may be.
- littlerunninggag
  
  The guy is a Cabinet Minister. The bill will be released as Government legislation. When it goes for a vote no one is going to risk an election over copyright legislation.
  - Anonymous
    
    In a minority parliament, there’s no guarantee that the government’s legislation will be passed. And since copyright legislation is not a money bill, its defeat won’t lead to an election.
    
    However, it would require all three opposition parties to vote against it in order to defeat it.