[d@DCC] Letter to Scott Simms: Wanting to discuss copyright revision and cultural policy with you.

From: Russell McOrmond <russell _-at-_ flora.ca>
To: General Copyright Discussions <discuss (at) list.digital-copyright.ca>
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:51:27 -0500 (EST)

Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:49:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Russell McOrmond
To: Scott Simms
Subject: Wanting to discuss copyright revision and cultural policy with you.

Dear Scott Simms (Bonavista--Exploits),

  On November 24 I wrote to you a letter in reply to some questions that
you asked of the Heritage Minister.  She offered you the standard
recording industry nonsense suggesting that they exist separate from the
real economy and that any losses that they experience are due to Internet
peer-to-peer "sharing".

  The narrative you have been hearing on copyright and related rights is a
simple one: new technologies have allowed citizens to infringe copyright,
content industries are being mortally harmed, and governments must step in
to protect these industries at all costs or we will see an end of
creativity.  The story is very cut-and-dry, and like an old western movie
we know the good guys are wearing the white hats, and the bad guys are
wearing the black hats.

  The problem is that reality is never as simple as an old western.  
Parliament is being misled about what is really happening.

  I am not a citizen who infringes copyright, nor do I work in one of the
legacy content industries.  I am a creator that makes my living focusing
on new business models and creative methodologies that harness (rather
than oppose) new communications technologies.  My work is under
considerable threat from policy revision currently being driven by
Heritage on behalf of the old-media industries.  This forced me to go
part-time to work to protect my sector.

  The quickest summary of my policy work is as follows:

  a) Creators and audiences should control communications tools, not third
parties like DRM manufacturers or the companies that dominate old-media.  
Whenever new communications technologies become available, and are allowed
to develop independently of incumbent interests (especially established
content industries and their business models), creativity as a whole has
always greatly benefit!

  b) Creators should have a full spectrum of business models and
development methodologies available to them.  The government -- on behalf
of incumbent industries -- should never impose business models or
development methodologies on all current or future creativity.

  c) That the recent WIPO treaties and Heritage directed revisions to
copyright are aimed at destroying the above two public goods.

  I have written a few articles recently which you may find interesting.   
Please consider replying to me and further discussing this area of 
policy.

Russell McOrmond
305 Southcrest Private,
Ottawa, ON
K1V 2B7
Phone: (613) 733-5836
http://www.flora.ca/#contact


Proposed copyright revision will take creativity backwards
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/discuss/4179

My summary of the Interim report.
http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/view/550

Note:  In the past I wrote formal submissions, but have not done so for
this report.  It doesn't look like Heritage accepted past submissions.

My summary also links to:

I, copyright cop! Who controls the digital security guards?
http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/copyright-cops.html

The picture that may never again be possible
http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/puja-picture.html

Excess Copyright? Towards a full spectrum of business models for published 
works
http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/excess-copyright.html

-- 
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/> 
 Have you, your family, your friends (, your enemies) signed the
 Petition to the Canadian Parliament for Users' Rights in Copyright?
 http://digital-copyright.ca/petition/
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