[discuss] Discussing Copyright related policy for 2010

[Russell McOrmond]

   Earlier this afternoon I posted a blog article 
http://www.cluecan.ca/node/1194 discussing some of the things that have 
happened this year in Copyright that CLUE folks would want to know about.

   There is one section that may be controversial or deserve some 
discussion, so I thought I would copy it here to start that discussion.

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Extension of existing private copying regime to devices

I believe this is a hard one for our community as it forces us to 
recognize priorities.

As a community most of us are opposed opposed to a system which makes 
technology more expensive, and that subsidizes unrelated business 
interests. When the Conservative party held a press conference in 
Ottawa's Rideau Center and then later launched a radio ad, many in our 
community were cheering.

While it seems that the Conservatives are on our side, the policies that 
are in C-32 say something quite different. Each of the reasons party a 
representative gave for opposing a levy on devices applies far more to 
non-owner locks on devices than it does to the levy. The damage caused 
by non-owner locks to the Canadian technology sector and the interests 
of Canadian technology owners is orders of magnitude worse than the harm 
of the levy.

We need to recognize that even if we agree with the Conservatives about 
the levy, we must ensure that Conservatives recognize that the existing 
policy in C-32 is far worse.



-- 
  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://fix.billc32.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!"