Your music industry loves you - (and wants to own your digital devices)

It just can't stand that the world has changed. So bend over. They want Bill C-11 overhauled.

A must read post over  Michael Geist describing how the music industry will only be happy after they've reduced your computer to a disconnected word processor.

Oh yeah. They want dibs on your MP3 player.

Also too, they would like you to hire minstrels to accompany you on your daily jog, your bus ride and to be there when you're line worked on that cute redhead.

The Geist in the machine . . .

MICHAEL GEIST HAS SOME DISTURBING NEWS: "PMO Issues The Order: Canadian DMCA Bill Within Six Weeks".

Months of public debate over the future of Canadian copyright law were quietly decided earlier this week, when sources say the Prime Minister's Office reached a verdict over the direction of the next copyright bill. The PMO was forced to make the call after Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore and Industry Minister Tony Clement were unable to reach consensus on the broad framework of a new bill. As I reported last week, Moore has argued for a virtual repeat of Bill C-61, with strong digital locks provisions similar to those found in the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act and a rejection of a flexible fair dealing approach.

First, the bill represents a stunning reversal from the government's seeming shift away from C-61 and its commitment to a bill based on the national copyright consultation. Instead, the consultation appears to have been little more than theatre, with the PMO and Moore choosing to dismiss public opinion. Second, after adopting distinctly pro-consumer positions on other issues, Moore has abandoned that approach with support for what may become the most anti-consumer copyright bill in Canadian history. Third, the bill will immediately impact the Canadian position at the ACTA and CETA negotiations, where the bill's provisions on anti-circumvention and ISP liability will effectively become the Canadian delegation position.

For those wondering what can be done, my only answer is to speak out now. Write a paper letter to your Member of Parliament and send copies to the Prime Minister, Moore, Clement and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff. No stamp is required - be sure to include your home address and send it to the House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6. Once that is done, join the Facebook group and the Facebook page and be sure to ask others do the same. You may spoken out before, but your voice is needed yet again.

What a can of worms.

And one by one, they fall.

This is almost stunning.

Until now, Warner Music had resisted offering songs by its artists in the MP3 format, which can be copied to multiple computers and burned onto CDs without restriction and played on most PCs and digital media players, including Apple Inc.'s iPod and Microsoft Corp.'s Zune. The deal raises the total number of MP3s for sale through Amazon's music download store to more than 2.9 million. Warner Music's entire catalog, including work by artists Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin and Sean Paul, will be added to the site throughout the week. The Amazon store launched with nearly 2.3 million songs in September.

Major music labels Universal Music Group and EMI Music Group PLC had already signed to sell large portions of their catalogs on Amazon, as had thousands of independent labels. Most songs cost 89 cents to 99 cents each and most albums sell for $5.99 to $9.99.

So, driven by the bottom line, companies are falling, one at a time, and formulating their product in a format that allows you to make copies.

In short, the same companies that want copyright legislation like the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, are willing to make it easier for download purchasers to actually make their own copies of music they legally purchased.

That's going to really make it difficult for the Harper government to table legislation which has the potential to make criminals out of people doing what the big music labels are clearly willing to allow - because their customers have forced them into it.

One of the last holdouts is almost a given. Rootkits 'R' Us still hasn't signed on. But then, they were willing to blow your computer to pieces just to protect their "revenue stream". Personally, I would get great pleasure watching them choke in the dust as their sales fall through the floor.

For the killer quote however, you'll have to visit Catelli.

Why this fight against Conservative copyright legislation is important. UPDATED

The difficulty in sorting through the current controversy over Canada's proposed version of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can leave many people confused. I certainly had some moments of dizziness about the whole thing.

Thanks to PSA and a comment from Red Tory we have an easily read and understandable rough guide to the problems with Industry Minister Jim Prentice's proposed legislation. Nunc Scio has put it together so head on over there.

Hopefully it will answer some questions and make this whole effort a little more understandable.

UPDATE: It's on hold again. PSA has more.

Copyright legislation to be introduced on Thursday

Via matttbastard, Michael Geist reports that Industry Minister Jim Prentice intends to introduce DMCA copyright legislation in parliament on Thursday.

Given the short period of time it was held back (two days) there is very little likelihood that there have been any significant changes to what was viewed as punishing copyright law.

Michael Geist updated his information with this:

Further confirmation from multiple sources. Pressure from Washington and concern over the news coverage of the past two days, widely viewed as embarrassing to the Prentice, are viewed the primary reasons for the change of heart.

Pressure from Washington? What?! Are they going to demand another billion dollars? Tell Washington to piss up a rope! Who's running things in Ottawa anyway?

Right. Sorry. My mistake. Momentary lapse.

As for being embarrassed, Prentice had better get used to it. If the legislation is as onerous as it is reported to be, Prentice might find that being embarrassed is the least of his worries. Once again, this crap is going to be jammed down the throats of Canadians, with no consultation, by the mega-corps.

Time to get writing again.

Go.

Canada's Digital Copyright Legislation on hold

It worked.

YOU did it. Damn, I'm proud of you people!

Prole has good news. Michael Geist reports that Industry Minister Jim Prentice will not be introducing legislation on digital copyright tomorrow.

The word this afternoon is that Industry Minister Jim Prentice will not introduce the Canadian DMCA tomorrow. The thousands of letters and phone calls over the past week have urged the government to adopt balanced copyright reforms that meets everyone's needs and does not unduly harm education, consumer rights, privacy, and free speech. The delay provides an exceptional opportunity for Minister Prentice to consult more broadly and to factor those concerns into the forthcoming bill in the interests of all Canadians.

The report has been picked up by the CBC.

A controversial bill that seeks to reform Canadian copyright laws, expected to be introduced early this week, may be quashed after a groundswell of opposition erupted over the past week.

The government last week filed a notice indicating the bill would be introduced this week, leading industry experts to expect it to happen on Tuesday. But a spokesperson for Industry Minister Jim Prentice, who was to introduce the bill, said it would not happen on Tuesday and could not say if it would happen this week.

You did that. Pretty Shaved Ape, Saskboy, James Bow and a ton of others I know I've missed, who were in the front rank of that charge, take a bow. You've earned it. You all just proved that there is something to using the internet as a root for action.

To Industry Minister Jim Prentice: I thank you for taking note. If it is indeed your intention to give any copyright bill you were intending to introduce a better hearing and consultation with Canadian users of digital media, I would commend you for responding to the flood concern sent your way.

Now. Everyone snap out of it.

Catelli has something important to say and it is more than just a little important. We've had Sony rootkits and recently we've had Western Digital attempting to limit the deployment of files using their hardware. In short, regardless of what laws are written, big media IS the same 800 pound gorilla producing the hardware and software we use.

We ain't gonna win this fight. To a certain extent, we already lost it. Us long-time audiovideo-ophiles remember being screwed over by DRM technology way back in the 80s. Backing up VHS movies was way more important back then as VHS tapes fail quite frequently. Its why I never bought any movies on VHS. I knew they would eventually fail and the money invested would be lost. If I couldn't back them up, I didn't want them.

[...]

I submit, to win the DRM/DMCA war, we have to change the terms of the battle. As I posted here, I no longer purchase music, I also don't download it either. I used to. I would download music as a means to evaluate an album, and if I liked it enough, I would go out an buy it. Once the download crackdown started, I abandoned the music scene entirely. I am only one individual, but that explains why my family no longer buys music. Same thing with Macrovision preventing duplicating of VHS tapes. I couldn't back them up, so I didn't buy them. This is my warning to the media corporations. Make it illegal for me to back-up my DVDs, and I will stop purchasing them too. That's how we win this war. If Big Media insists we have no rights to fair use of their product, I insist they have no right to my money. If we all collectively do this, it will make a resounding thud on boardroom tables when the bottom line drops even further.

Read more and leave a comment because Catelli has the solution laid out.

Now, don't let up. I don't see any form of victory here. I see people in action. Stakeholders who could state their concerns and put them on the right table.

Keep them there. This isn't won until someone comes forth and provides a full and transparent consultative process.

And Mr. Prentice, any of us would be more than happy to participate in that process. As long as there is one.

Oh yes. You Blogging Tories need not thank us. You're still stupid useless cocksuckers.

Industry Minister Jim Prentice will screw you if you don't stop him

Do you feel like being sued by some behemoth of a corporation? No? Well, if Industry Minister Jim Prentice gets his way, that's exactly what will happen. Doing what you now take for granted with different forms of media information and entertainment will result in Big Media going after average Canadians in exactly the way they've done it in the US over copyright infractions, and virtually everything will be a copyright infraction.

From Michael Geist: (emphasis mine)

If the introduction of a Canadian DMCA were not bad enough, sources now indicate that Industry Minister Jim Prentice plans to delay addressing the copyright concerns of individual Canadians for years. Rather than including consumer concerns such as flexible fair dealing, time shifting, format shifting, parody, and the future of the private copying levy within the forthcoming bill, Prentice will instead strike a Copyright Review Panel to consider future copyright reforms. Modeled after the Telecom Policy Review Panel, the CRP will presumably take a year or two to consult Canadians on various copyright issues. In all likelihood, the government will then take another year or two to consider the recommendations, another year to propose potential reforms, another year or two to consult on those proposals, and another year or two to finally introduce legislation. Given that Canada has historically only passed major copyright reform once every ten years, Prentice will be in his early 60s and likely collecting his Member of Parliament pension by the time Canadians see copyright reform that addresses fair use. While a consultation is a good idea, the government should be consulting on all copyright matters rather than caving now to U.S. demands while leaving Canadians consumers, educators, and other stakeholders out in the cold. The Industry Minister claimed last month to "put consumers first", yet his copyright plan represents a stunning abdication of his responsibility to represent the Canadian public interest. As the protests mount over his Canadian DMCA and his attempt to sidetrack consumer copyright concerns, Prentice should acknowledge the public outrage, hold off introducing the Canadian DMCA, and look for plan B. That would optimally mean conducting a broad public consultation (or striking a CRP with a full copyright review mandate) before introducing legislation. Alternatively, a revised bill could be introduced in February or March that better reflects the copyright balance by addressing consumer concerns now rather than in ten years time.

In other words, Prentice plans to consult after imposing the most punishing copyright legislation in the world on Canadians. While some would call it "Made in USA" legislation, it is more accurately "Made in the corporate boardroom".

The only people who stand to benefit from a Canadian Digital Millennium Copyright Act are the mega-corporations who wrote it.

Oh yes, and the politicians who are only too happy to take campaign contributions from the big media companies.

As Pretty Shaved Ape says,

Modeled on the American DMCA, our neighbours have endured more than 20,000 anti-consumer lawsuits at the hands of Mr. Prentice's chosen constituents, big media. You need to remind Jim Prentice that he works for Canadians. We pay his legitimate wages as a member and minister, that trumps whatever monies he might be collecting or promised for future considerations.

Where to do that? Here's a start. Contact Jim Prentice at:

Ottawa office - (613) 992-4275
Calgary office - (403) 216-7777
Minister office - (613) 995-9001
Email address is: Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

Once you send an email, print it out and mail it (no stamp needed!) to:

Jim Prentice
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Be polite, but firm and to the point. Remind Mr. Prentice that he works for us; not big media. Remind him that the two ministers who preceded him and tried to put forward this kind of legislation lost their jobs. Remind him that, even if he does get this legislation through parliament, it will become an election issue unless he changes both the intent and the process.

Then contact your member of parliament and state your objections.

Do it now, because if you don't you are going to watch this government take away your right to fair use, to copying your own material, to backing up that which you already own, to using digital media in education and you will still be paying a levy to big media for every piece of recording media you buy.

Just do it.

Interesting example: Saskboy, who I have to say, has been paying extremely close attention to both Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) provides a timely example of what one could expect. Western Digital has created a 1 terabyte hard drive that won't allow you to access your content over a network if you install the "required" software. As he points out, if Prentice pushes through his DMCA, Western Digital's crippling software will be a mandatory installation and you'll be breaking the law if you work around it.

Catelli asks the all important question about this massive network storage device. Why would anybody buy it?

Precisely. If I can't put my largest files, graphic, audio and video on the thing and access them through my network, why would I need such a huge storage capacity?