When Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice finally introduced his Canadian version of the disastrous American Digital Millennium Copyright Act in June, he clearly hoped that the widespread outrage over his one-sided, punishing legislation would evaporate over the summer, leaving him free to sneak it through in the fall session of Parliament. But as CTV reports, the summer has been a long, hot one for Prentice, with tens of thousands of Canadians continuing to spread the word about the bill, getting ready to make war on it the second Parliament's doors open:
Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal held a town hall meeting last month to discuss the controversial legislation after his office was flooded with letters from concerned constituents.
It's not the first time this digital community has bared its teeth. The Conservative government was slated to introduce the reforms in December but delayed the bill after heavy criticism flooded the blogosphere.
Geist said he is optimistic that the activism will make a difference.
"When you get tens of thousands of Canadians speaking out like this, there's big political risk for any political party who chooses to ignore it," he warned.
Copyright crusaders to launch cyber campaign
(via /.)
See also:
* Canadians flocking to anti-DMCA Facebook group; what you can do
* Canadian DMCA video contest: Bill C61 in 61 seconds
Update: Michael Geist adds, "if you're looking for a summary about how the bill kills many everyday consumer uses, I cover the issue in today's Toronto Star."
