Digital Copyright Canada

Copyright policy is the joint responsibility of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Minister of Industry. Two committees of the House of Commons are therefore the key members who are most likely to be studying this topic and related bills.

Members of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (40th Parliament, 2nd Session. January 26, 2009 - ).

Elections Canada Electoral district profile (Links to Map, Past Candidates, and Past Election Results)

Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie / Westmount - Ville-Marie

Name: Marc Garneau
e-Mail: <Garneau.M@parl.gc.ca>
Party: Liberal Party of Canada

Liberal MP Marc Garneau (Westmount—Ville-Marie, critic for Industry, Science & Technology), has participated in a Q&A with SaveOutNet.ca. While the responses are interesting, I would like to compare with what would be said by Dan McTeague (Pickering—Scarborough East, critic for Consular Affairs, Consumer Affairs) who has expressed quite different opinions on digital strategy issues. I wouldn't be surprised to hear McTeague supporting both 3-strikes and the Google Tax.

Michael Geist reports on some lobbying being done to water down an anti-SPAM bill.

At yesterday's hearing, it was discouraging to see lobbyists for Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Intellectual Property Council huddling with Liberal MPs before the start of the hearing. It was even more incredible to see lobbyists for the Canadian Real Estate Association draft a series of questions about the bill, hand them to a Bloc MP, and have them posed to the witnesses moments later.
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Consider writing to your MP or the members of the Industry Committee today asking them to support C-27 with an opt-in approach.

I recommend writing to your MP, asking them to forward the letter to committee members. This may increase the impact.

Update: The Copyright Lobby's Secret Pressure On the Anti-Spam Bill, which is referenced via BoingBoing.

Here is a list of the top ridings I'll be watching this election night, and why. Click on the ridings to get more details, articles, etc.

Timmins--James Bay

Obvious place to start the list, with incumbent Charlie Angus of the New Democrats expected to keep his seat. He is the incumbent MP who best understands technology law issues, whether it be Copyright or Net Neutrality. He has also been very successful in educating and working within his caucus to enable the NDP to have some of the strongest candidates in this election.

P2pnet editor Jon Newton has decided to come out in support of a specific party, namely the NDP, as the party people should support if the issues we cover on p2pnet are important to you. While I agree with some of the specific candidates he mentions, such as Timmins–James Bay candidate and NDP digital spokesperson Charlie Angus, and Vancouver Centre candidate Michael Byers, I believe it’s the candidates we need to concentrate on, and not the parties.

Read full article on p2pnet.

A press release from NDP Digital Spokesman Charlie Angus discusses how digital issues could play a role in key ridings like Vancouver Centre (Michael Byers), Westmount (Anne Legacé Dowson), Guelph (Tom King) and Pardale High Park (Peggy Nash).

Hugh McGuire interviewed Liberal Candidate Marc Garneau in the Wesmount-Ville Marie by-election. The statement seems to be similar to other Liberals, which is that they don't like C-61 or the way it was brought forward without consultations, but refuse to offer any starting point for where they will go with this policy in the future.

Cory Doctorow posts his Personal endorsement for Anne Lagacé Dowson, candidate in Westmount-Ville-Marie, Quebec.

This is great to hear, and I hope people in this riding will make digital copyright an issue!

See also: Hill Times: Garneau, Dowson going head-to-head for Westmount byelection seat, p2pnet: Canada’s Copyright party is … the NDP?

July 25, 2008: Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today that by-elections will be held on Monday, September 8, 2008 in the ridings of Guelph (Ontario), Westmount-Ville Marie (Quebec) and Saint Lambert (Quebec).