Digital Copyright Canada

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.
...
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.

The minutes and transcript from the special August 26, 2008 to "discuss the recent cancelling of federal cultural financial assistance programs" are online.

This meeting was held when everyone pretty much knew an election would be called. This should be read as an election debate on federal government funding of cultural programs from some key politicians running for re-election. While Copyright wasn't on the agenda, it did get discussed.

There is a way out

For some time now, there has been an expansion of corporate control into the common good. We know that, corporations maximize profits for their investors, externalize costs and eliminate competition. Competition may be defined as the portion of a recognized market share that is presently not under a particular corporations control. What this means is that when any corporation is allowed to own, even the tiniest portion of a good or service, the remaining portion is seen to be either untapped resource or owned by the competition, whether that competition exists or not.

The privatization of the common good is being achieved through the deregulation of, social services, government institutions and basic natural resources. Governments have been complicit by downloading the costs of services, while implementing increasing standards of high cost inputs. What were once simple acts of kindness or the resources to fulfill basic human needs are now commodities to be bought and sold on an open market. Investors then have a choice of taking from, or adding to, the common good or purchasing portions of it for their own private use. Regulation via taxes or legislation, or through subsidies and venture capital are some of the very few tools that governments have to keep corporate control in check. N.G.O.'s and citizen groups have practiced ethical investment, social marketing, political and economic lobbying and media campaigns to react to crimes against the common good. Sadly with little total effect.