Canadian Heritage Minister declares war on copyright reformers

Michael Geist sez, "There was considerable attention yesterday on a media report stating that Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore warned against 'radical extremists' opposing C-32. A video of part of his remarks has now been posted online. The comments, which come after the prepared speech, feature a no-holds-barred attack against those arguing for fair copyright. According to Moore, some proposed amendments to C-32 are not genuine but rather part of an attempt to oppose copyright and copyright reform, to drum up fear, and to mislead. Moore encourages confrontation, urging the audience to confront on Facebook, Twitter, talk shows and in the media until 'they are defeated.'"

Those people who are out there who are saying that copyright legislation, copyright reform is not good, these are people who are dressing up the fact that they don't believe in copyright reform at all. Right. These people out there who don't believe in copyright at all. They will say, well Bill C-61, the old copyright legislation, we disagreed with these specific provisions. Well, Bill C-32 we have these specific amendments.
Don't fool yourself. These voices that are out there, these people that are out there who pretend to be experts that the media cite all the time. They don't believe in any copyright reform whatsoever. They will find any excuse to oppose this bill, to drum up fear, to mislead, to misdirect, and to push people in the wrong direction and to undermine what has been a meaningful comprehensive year-long effort to get something right.

James Moore's Attack on Fair Copyright

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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Daemon

The irony is that the “radical extremists” in question are almost universally in favor of copyright reform.

Just not in the direction the corps want.
ryanrafferty

So now this guy is claiming to be an expert because he’s wearing a suit and has a soap box? It’s policy…. And if the guy has ever read a book in his life (start with Aristotle’s Ethics, then move over to the Politics) he would know that there are no such thing as policy experts, policy needs to be debated, in a democracy everyone is a policy expert.

I don’t want copyright reform, I’m someone who makes things and puts little circles with ‘c’s in them- I am a policy expert, because I live in a democracy… And whether James Moore likes it or not, I should be able to voice my opinion, which is as valid as his.

I’m not using fear or lies, I’m stating the truth…
Geoff

I love the “voter’s don’t really know what they want” stance the current conservatives have. Only ‘radical extremists’ wanted to meet our Kyoto targets, right?

In all seriousness, is there a process to request the dismissal of an MP? I’ve never heard anything so silencing or unbalanced from a Canadian politician.
Anonymous

Remember Moore and his party’s behaviour when the next election comes.
Wallflower

What’s next, Mr. Moore? Bookburning?
bobledrew

It’s really convenient that the site Balanced Copyright for Canada happened to be created. With their handy-dandy action alerts and pre-packaged messaging, they make opposing babyish radical extremists easy and fun!

So come on kids, join Balanced Copyright for Canada today! They’re hep to the jive — they were even live-tweeting James Moore’s speech yesterday! I say they, of course, because nobody has any idea who they are. A very sensible measure to take, frankly, to protect sensible people from radical babyish extremists.
- ryanrafferty
  
  Here are a few of the members:
  
  http://lobbyingcanada.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-on-balanced-copyright-for-canada.html
  - sadmarvin
    
    It’s really sad to see Loreena McKennitt caught up on the anti-creator side of this. She’s normally a pretty savvy lady. Her presence also adds way more legitimacy than this group of jokers deserves.
Anonymous

On behalf of America: thank you, Mr. Moore! You’re handing Canada to Hollywood on a silver plate, and we didn’t even have to lift a finger.
IronEdithKidd

Seriously, is Carl Rove on this man’s staff?
Anonymous

Drama queens. War on this, war on that…. Yada, yada, yada.
It’s very hard to take a politician, especially a Canadian “conservative” politician, seriously anymore.
oxymoron69

Perhaps this: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/06/22/spying-csis.html

explains this ministers behaviour.
BastardNamban

If this ponce is so afraid of us, why doesn’t he have some of us speak, in the open, in a debate? Specifically, put Michael Geist in a debate with him, and put it on public TV.

I assure you he’ll resign shortly thereafter, once people figure out he’s a lying, manipulative sack of…

It amazes me every day how many people like this become politicians- call people who disagree with them “extremeists”, or “terrorists”, or anything else along those lines.

And the only thing that amazes me more than this is how many people believe these scumbags. They just take their crooked word for it, on everything.

Debate never hurt anyone- if we are loons, as he seems to claim- put one of us voluntarily on the stand! Why won’t he do that?

Maybe because….GASP! He’s LYING and we’re reasonable people with reasonable concerns?

Gosh- a politician LYING! That’s NEVER happened before..?
littlerunninggag

So, according to the Federal Government, the definition of radical extremism is:

Using the democratic process to generate grassroots support to object to a piece of legislation that restricts my ability to do what I want with something I purchase?

Lock me up folks, I’m clearly a krypto-anarchist hellbent on taking down the government.
- Boba Fett Diop
  
  That is the exact definition of radical extremism according to Harper’s government. Any form of grassroots sentiment that isn’t stirred up by Quebecor or CanWest and doesn’t involve frothing at the mouth over immigrants, or the slight possibility of Karla Holmolka getting a pardon, is clearly un-Canadian. Just ignore the tar sands or the billion dollars we’re spending to create a police state in downtown Toronto…
ian71

Wow, that guy totally -hates- Michael Geist. He may as well be wearing a flashing sign.
Anonymous

This guy is either out of touch with Canadians or a liar.

http://scottf.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/james-moore-is-wrong/
Satan Ate My Ears

*cough*asshole*cough*
michael thorne

Maybe the Honorable Minister should watch the TED Talk by Google’s Margaret Stewart: How YouTube thinks about copyright. http://bit.ly/utubecprt
Daedalus

Somebody get me a T-shirt!

“A Voice that is Out There.”
MadRat

“Those people who are out there who are saying that copyright legislation, copyright reform is not good, these are people who are dressing up the fact that they don’t believe in copyright reform at all.”

I’m not a Canadian, I’m an American. But I disagree with this statement. I’m very much in favor of copyright reform. For example, the Wizard of Oz, staring Judy Garland, had it’s premier in August of 1939, not quite 71 years ago. Unless you’re in your middle 70′s or older, there is no way you could remember seeing this movie when it first came out. Nearly everyone who saw it that year is dead and gone. Everyone who worked on it is dead and gone. The book itself is out of copyright. So when is a popular, lucrative film, like The Wizard of Oz, going to be in the public domain as well? Haven’t 71 years been long enough for MGM to have earned a living off of this film?

Reducing copyright durations is reform. Extending copyright durations to unreasonable lengths and making it illegal, no matter what the reason, to bypass copy protection, is tyranny.
alllie

To capitalists copyright reform is just extending copyright protection into infinity.
the_headless_rabbit

More copyrights is good, because ‘Conservative’ means opposing the free market, and doing whatever it takes to prop up an industry with government granted monopolies.

While us radical liberal socialists want the government to stay out of the way, and have businesses in the creative field to actually compete.

wait….what?
Anonymous

He’s right. I am opposed to everything he says and will fight tooth and nail for real copyright reform.
Patrick

I think the most telling point is:

Canda always has been, always will be, a trading nation.… our prosperity has always been dependent on investment into Canada; being in compliance with international standards,… We need to protect those investments—protect those jobs—…

from 1:30 onwards

It sounds like he’s been threatened with a loss of trade from someone with power. And I assume he’s not felt it’s worth the risk to cross them and find out if the threat is real—even though it’s against the interests of the people he represents.

Politics is all fine until people get involved!
propolitico

I am not usually surprised at statements made by Canadian Ministers of Heritage. But today I’m surprised. And angry. Today a large number of Canadians (including myself and the many people I work with) have been labeled as radical extremists and therefore libeled by the Canadian Minister of Heritage.

For a high ranking official of the government to actually come out and say that Canadians who voice their opinions and believe in balanced copyright must be confronted every step of the way and defeated is beyond belief.

James Moore’s arrogance seems to know no bounds. Why is he so hot under the collar? Why is he so intent on dismissing Canadian voices on this matter and pushing forward an obviously unpopular copyright agenda? I would like to see an enquiry done into James Moore’s affiliations, meetings and past history with groups on both sides of this debate. I want to know who is more influential than the many Canadians who are asking for balanced copyright?

After hearing this embarrassing tirade I don’t believe James Moore is capable of acting in a rational and balanced way to fulfill his duties. He has chosen to create a climate of fear and hostility. He is trying to pit Canadian against Canadian in this debate. James Moore and the Conservative Party should be deeply ashamed of this attack. I for one would like James Moore’s immediate resignation as Minister of Heritage.
CCER

If you aren’t already considered a “radical extremist” by the Canadian government or even if you are please take 2 minutes right now and send a letter to Ottawa opposing the digital lock provisions included in Bill C-32.

http://www.ccer.ca/send-a-letter-to-ottawa-to-stop-the-canadian-dmca/
sadmarvin

These voices that are out there, these people that are out there who pretend to be experts that the media cite all the time. They don’t believe in any copyright reform whatsoever.

Which is precisely why the first thing Michael Geist did was praise the positive changes C-32 introduced over the old C-61.
- jmcgarry
  
  Indeed. Though I think that comment was unfortunately aimed directly at Geist.
  
  But unless I misunderstood the results of the government’s own Canadian Copyright Consultation process, most Canadians would easily fit into “‘radical extremists’ opposing C-32.”
  - rrh
    
    No no no, those would be the poor dupes who have been mislead, misdirected, and pushed in the wrong direction by the opponents to the bill.
Anonymous

Since he considers university teachers and librarians to be “radical extremists”, perhaps the university teachers and librarians should take up arms against Mr. Geist. If he wants the confrontation, I say “Bring it!”
IRC

I have never felt so personally attacked by a politician in my country before. Like Geist I actually commended him on the bill first before I told him that all their hard work making things fair and balanced was completely destroyed by the digital lock provisions. Where a lock exists, all fair use rights are removed.

Of course, as a musician and s/w dev I have no idea, according to MP James Moore, what I’m talking about. I’m “anti” copyright, of course. I couldn’t possible have a *stake* in this. I’m just trying to be anti-establishment.

I hope he’s enjoying his final term in office.

Letters sent to his boss, my local MP and MP Tony Clement…
rrh

Yeah, radical extremists are known for their blanket opposition to reform.
Anonymous

Christ, what an asshole!
Zergonapal

The only radical extremists I can see are the minority big corporations and politicians in their pay who refuse to accept fair use as reasonable.
jo3lr0ck5

Lock Down!! What fair use? Fair use exists in the land of Ogres…I do agree that there needs to be more information to people though.
mdh

“…any excuse to oppose this bill, to drum up fear, to mislead, to misdirect, and to push people in the wrong direction and to undermine…”

We see what you did there.
MrJM

Retrograde corporate copyright absolutists need to face the facts:

* You will never beat us.

* We are smarter, faster and better organized, i.e. disorganized.

* And every time you try to vilify us, you just make us that much sexier.

Anyone with an ounce of brains can understand that a society’s norms and morals regarding sharing can’t be forced to slavishly follow arbitrary copyright laws. Rather, the society’s laws should follow from that society’s norms and morals.

For the sake of civil society, copyright policy-makers need to stop this headlong race towards illegitimacy and irrelevance.
boingaddict

so now we are called: radical extrimists…next stop we will be called terrorists….