Coming Canadian Copyright Bill

[Russell McOrmond]

Patrick wrote:
> I've had a bit of a "run around" with this.

   Do you live in Calgary?

   This is an issue that can't be left to the Ministers or to issue 
critics from the 3 opposition parties.  The issue must be brought to the 
attention of all 308 MPs.  The focus over the holidays should really be:

   a) Talking to your own MP, possibly starting with letter writing 
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/letters

   b) Talking to all friends/family/etc so that they are aware of the 
issue, and are immunized against the misinformation from the various 
lobbiests (IE: that this is about modernizing out "antiquated" copyright 
act -- which is only 1 year older than the so-called Modern US law, that 
this is about protecting creative Canadians from "theft"  when in fact 
it is about protecting outdated business models from competition, etc)

   c) Signing the two petitions, and using them as tools to educate 
people about the real issues
       http://www.digital-copyright.ca/petition/ict/


   d) Writing letters to the editor to local media.  While the national 
papers have people to cover things, the local people need the 
distributed support that our online community can offer.  Our opponents 
(CRIA, etc) have been using this and focusing on local papers with their 
misinformation, we we need to correct this.



BTW: If you have questions about the current state of Canadian Copyright 
law, as well as good and bad ideas that have been proposed for changes, 
please just ask.  Ideal would be the digital-copyright.ca mailing lists 
given there are more people there that can help, but asking here (or in 
email to me) works as well.

-- 
  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!"