[d@DCC] Mixed feelings about "DVD DRM row sparks user rebellion"

From: Russell McOrmond <russell _-at-_ flora.ca>
To: General Copyright Discussions <discuss (at) list.digital-copyright.ca>
Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 10:52:42 -0400 (EDT)

   As most of you will have heard, the 32-character code string containing 
the so-called "HD Processing Key" is being widely published, and even 
brought Digg to a standstill yesterday as they had to re-evaluate a 
policy.

http://www.digital-copyright.ca/node/3916

   Why the mixed feelings?  The fact that it impacted Digg's policies and 
has generated so much publicity demonstrates how important this issue is 
to people.  This is a key that can be used to unlock the harmful 
anti-interoperability used by some copyright holders to impose 
hardware/software choices on their audiences.  Opposing this imposition 
seems to resonate with many people.

   As interesting as the media attention is, I don't know if any long-term 
positive impact can come out of it if it doesn't translate into political 
action.  We have a petition that deals specifically with this issue that 
has thus far only a little over 200 signatures to it.  If a fraction of 
the Canadians who were likely involved in that Digg storm were signing and 
getting all their friends to sign our petition, we could have a major 
impact.

   So far we haven't had the impact we could if we could leverage the 
number of people who seem concerned.


   Politicians are only hearing one side of the story.  They hear from 
incumbent content industry associations who see all new media (the 
technology, as well as the new incentive models such as peer production or 
user generated content) as a threat.  They hear from the US government 
agencies (USTR, USPTO, US embassy) acting as if they were part of the 
content industry lobby.  The bogus Special 301 report seems to be 
receiving traction, and Canada seems to be wanting to appease these folks.

   Our politicians barely hear from us, and thus are unaware of the massive 
harm to Canadian creativity and innovation that results from the types of 
policies these incumbents are pushing.

   They need to hear from us.  Petitions are one way, as is escalating 
through meeting with MPs.  Send them a letter, and ask to meet with them. 
If you don't have time to meet with them, then ask your MP if they would 
be willing to meet with me.



   Any other thoughts on how to move things forward?  Things seem quiet at 
the moment, but we are likely to see a new Copyright bill very soon which 
is rumoured to make C-60 look great in comparison.

Thanks.


-- 
  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!"
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