[d@DCC] Music in Canada Coalition / Heritage meeting.

From: Russell McOrmond <russell _-at-_ flora.ca>
To: General Copyright Discussions <discuss (at) list.digital-copyright.ca>
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 19:25:50 -0500 (EST)

  I didn't catch up with the meeting this morning as I was only there in 
the afternoon.  Hopefully there will be some more reporting on it, but 
below is some media links I was already forwarded.  Please write letters 
to the editor, but also try to connect to the musicians on their websites 
and let them know that on the copyright front they are playing on the 
wrong team.

  There were a few interesting things at the Heritage meeting.  It was 
largely as expected, a report from the minister.  Her priorities?  
Copyright of course.

  Listening to discussions and reading between the lines I learned a few 
things.  First, there is concern in the committee about media 
concentration.  Somehow they don't realize that transforming the 
citizen-to-citizen nature of the Internet into being more similar to 
broadcast (claim and censor regimes discouraging postings, DRM adding in 
intermediary dependencies that will be more centralizing that spectrum was 
in the past) will make things far worse.  Their own recommendations on 
copyright and broadcasting seem to be at odds with each other, which may 
be an opportunity for education on the technology.

  There were many people from the new Music coalition in the audience.
This is the Music in Canada Coalition, or MICC (I can't find a website --
anyone know of one?).  I got the card of one of the people who are part of
this coalition who sat beside me in the committee meeting, and he
indicated an interest in discussing things.

  One of the most interesting comments was from Scott Simms
(Bonavista--Gander--Grand Falls--Windsor
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/taxonomy/page/or/22 ) who spoke about a
need for balance with music.  He indicated that his child just "clicks"  
and downloads music, and hopes that Canada won't become like the USA where
children (well -- their parents) won't be sued for such things
(paraphrasing -- Hansard will have the exact words later).


  I plan to write a short letter to Mr. Simms replying to his question,
which is that Canada is already like the USA in that the copyright act
already allows the recording industry to sue children (or their parents)  
for P2P music distribution.  I will remind him that the lawsuit was lost
not because of the copyright act but because CRIA didn't provide evidence
of ownership of anything being distributed (uploaded) by members of these
networks.


  Here is the media I was sent so far.  Please send out letters and get 
active on this!

Musicians demand Ottawa protect them from music piracy
http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n112445A

Musicians call for an update on copyright law
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1101331178030_15/?hub=Canada

Musicians demand Ottawa protect them from music piracy
http://www3.cjad.com/content/cp_article.asp?id=/global_feeds/canadianpress/entertainmentnews/e112445A.htm

-- 
 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/code-is-law.html
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