[discuss] [Fwd: Media Advisory: Canadian Software Innovation Alliance]

[Russell McOrmond]

   Other Canadian FLOSS businesses should be heavily involved as well! 
If you weren't yet aware of the CSIA, please get in contact with them!


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Media Advisory: Canadian Software Innovation Alliance
Date: 	Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:34:54 -0400
From: 	Canadian Software Innovation Alliance
To: 	<info  at softwareinnovation.ca>



For Immediate Release

Open Source Group Weighs in on Copyright
Canadian Software Innovation Alliance highlights need for careful
copyright reform

Ottawa, June 3, 2008

A new coalition of Canadian software businesses and supporters is
concerned about how reforms to Canadian copyright laws might affect the
open source business model. The Canadian Software Innovation Alliance
(CSIA) represents over 20 businesses that specialize in open source
software.  In response to rumors of a new copyright bill set to hit the
House of Commons before the summer recess, the CSIA today announced the
public release of their White Paper.  The CSIA has provided the White
Paper to Industry Minister Jim Prentice and Heritage Minister Josée
Verner in an open letter jointly addressed to the two Ministers.

The CSIA is particularly concerned about potential changes to copyright
law, such as making it illegal to tamper with technological protection
measures (TPMs), the 'digital locks' - when it is the intentional theft
of copyrighted material that should be illegal. In everyday language the
proposed legislation is similar to making the use and ownership of
screw-drivers  and pliers illegal because they can  be used to commit
crimes such as burglary.  Similar laws in other countries, such as the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the United States, have caused
problems for consumers and businesses alike. "[T]he history of these
laws in other countries demonstrates that they are ineffective at
protecting content and pose a barrier to competition and innovation,"
says Bob Young, CSIA member.  Mr. Young is CEO of Lulu.com, and a
founder and former CEO and director of Red Hat, Inc.  "The effect of
these laws is to prevent legitimate use by law-abiding businesses and
citizens."

Open source software is an alternative to the conventional software
business model in which developers freely distribute the source code to
their creations. This allows others to freely use, examine, modify and
distribute the software. Open source software is used by over half
(52.7%) of public institutions and over a third (37.3%) of large
businesses in Canada, as well as powering the majority of the world's
internet servers. Open source consumer software includes freely
available products such as the Firefox web browser, the OpenOffice
productivity suite, and the Linux operating system.

About the Canadian Software Innovation Alliance

The Canadian Software Innovation Alliance (CSIA) is a coalition of
businesses and professionals that develop, maintain and depend on open
source software. CSIA advocates public policy and law reforms that will
foster innovation and fair competition in the Canadian software
industry, promote Canada's competitiveness internationally, and uphold
the rights of Canadian software users.

CSIA's website, which includes both the letter to the Ministers and the
whitepaper, can be found at www.softwareinnovation.ca
<http://www.softwareinnovation.ca>.

# # #

To review the Canadian Software Innovation Alliance White Paper, see:
http://www.softwareinnovation.ca/index.php/csia-white-paper/

For more information, contact:

Bob Young
CEO
Lulu, Inc.

c/o Canadian Software Innovation Alliance
Tel: 613-562-5800 x.2589

-- 
  Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
  Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property
  rights as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition!
  http://www.digital-copyright.ca/petition/ict/

  "The government, lobbied by legacy copyright holders and hardware
   manufacturers, can pry my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or
   portable media player from my cold dead hands!"