h4ck3r.net

Bill C-61

24 Aug 2008

Canada’s Bill C-61 is an even-worse version of the United States’ DMCA.

For more information, http://www.michaelgeist.ca/ is a reasonable starting point. I rolled up my sleeves and had a go at http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Docid=3570473&file=4 which is relatively readable.

Here’s the letter I just posted (yes, on actual paper, in an envelope!) to my MP.

If you’re Canadian, please read the above links and if you don’t agree with this Bill, as I’m confident you won’t, phone or write to your MP (especially if your MP is a Conservative Party member!)


Office of the Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.
Confederation Building House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Hello Dr. Fry

I am a resident of Vancouver Centre, and I'm writing to you to express my
absolute horror at the current state of Bill C-61.

I am employed as a software engineer in the entertainment industry, and as
such, fully respect and understand the need for copyright reform in
Canada.

However, from reading this bill (at
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Docid=3570473,
the reproduction rights afforded to Canadians are absolutely useless
because of section 29.21(c). This section subordinates any time-shifting
and media-shifting rights that should be allowed, merely by having any
kind of digital lock mechanism on the content. But, virtually all media
sold in Canada now contains a digital lock of some sort, so it's almost
pointless to "grant" these rights.

Inevitably, the devices or internet services which control the digital
lock access fail, go out of business, or otherwise are not maintained. If
we are unable to legally shift to other formats, and the media become
un-unlockable, they are effectively gone. Will all of the companies and
individuals controlling the locks exist in 5 years? Maybe. 50 years?
Unlikely.

I would also like to especially point out that this does not solely
concern things that could perhaps be considered "frivolous" like
pop-consumer-ish music and video. Over the next 10-15 years, it is all but
guaranteed that most books, and crucially text books, will be delivered
and consumed in electronic form. My wife is a high school teacher employed
by the Vancouver School Board, and I would be horrified to find that our
already underfunded education system had lost access to teaching
resources, simply because the company controlling a digital lock had
failed.

I sincerely hope you will make sure that this Bill is heavily modified, or
defeated, when the time comes.

Thank you for your time,

Scott Graham
*my address removed*