[d@DCC] Re-introduction of ISP licensing bill: Bill C-254

From: Russell McOrmond <russell _-at-_ flora.ca>
To: Stoffer.P (at) parl.gc.ca
Cc: General Copyright Discussions <discuss -_at_- list.digital-copyright.ca>
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2004 16:21:40 -0500 (EST)

To Peter Stoffer, MP (Sackville--Eastern Shore)

  As part of my job I co-manage an independent ISP operating in downtown
Ottawa.  Some of my customers include NDP members of parliament such as:

http://www.billblaikie.ca/     http://www.patmartin.ca/
http://www.brianmasse.ca/      http://www.dickproctor.ca/
http://www.lornenystrom.ca/    http://www.jeancrowder.org/


  I believe your bill will have considerable unintended consequences that
will be far worse than the consequences that the bill is intended to
address.

  It is important to understand that the Internet is a citizen-to-citizen
medium, not a broadcast medium, and thus attempts to use similar
regulation and licensing as broadcast will not have the same effect.  
Licensing ISPs to control speech is like licensing private home owners to
control speech, given that conversations the government may wish to
control may also happen in the privacy of ones own home.  Most people
recognize this as movement into areas that will violate human rights.

  ISPs should not be either responsible for or required to be aware of
communications happening over their wires.  The Internet works best when
these mere intermediaries are kept hands off.  If anything, the government
should be regulating ISPs to disallow them to monitor or filter content
without the expressed permission of their customers.

  Please meet with me so that we can discuss the Internet generally, and
bills such as this one specifically.

Russell McOrmond
Contact information: http://www.flora.ca/#contact


Sackville--Eastern Shore
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/taxonomy/page/or/39

Introduction of C-254
http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/019_2004-11-01/han019_1520-E.htm#SOB-991702

Text of bill:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Bills_House_Private.asp?Language=E&Parl=38&Ses=1#C-254

-- 
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/> 
 Code is Law: how software code regulates the activities of citizens,
 and acts similar to law.  How do we ensure transparency/accountability?  
 http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/life-of-hacker.html#code=law
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