C-61: Copyright legislation **UPDATE**

[Bobblehead]

Update: Fredr123 post has the first text of the bill which was tabled June 13, 2008. If you want to skip the discussion.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...8&postcount=80

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A few highlights from the National Post article:

The federal Conservatives are set to introduce new copyright legislation as soon as this week that will include provisions to target users with a $500 fine for all illegal files transferred online, a move that legal experts say could see Canadians sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars if found guilty of infringement.

...

Other provisions in the bill, which is said to be tabled to the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon, will include measures to make it illegal to unlock cellphones or copy music from protected CDs to iPods as well as making it illegal to copy "time shifted" shows onto personal video recorders if flagged by broadcasters.

What draconian measures. This makes me very angry. How is this good for anyone outside of content producers or cell service providers? Illegal to unlock your phone? Why? Illegal to rip CDs to an iPod? Total BS.

[WhiteTom]

copy music from protected CDs to iPods

Firstly, what exactly do they mean by protected CDs?

If that means all current CDs this is complete garbage.

I think we should start a riot.

Edit: Well, the cellphone thing is garbage too, but this is what I honed in on.

[Russic]

Didn't think I could dislike to conservatives anymore ... turns out I was pretty wrong.

[fredr123]

- a $500 fine for all illegal files transferred online [current Act charges a max of $20,000 for each infringement or something like that]

- a fine for each "personal use download" found to be shared online through peer-to-peer software programs [kind of like a penalty for "making available"]

- measures to make it illegal to unlock cellphones or copy music from protected CDs to iPods [not sure what they mean by protected CDs, hopefully that doesn't mean any ol' CD; this probably comes from their anticircumvention of digital locks provisions]

- making it illegal to copy "time shifted" shows onto personal video recorders if flagged by broadcasters [this is absolute crap; the whole idea of the PVR could be in jeopardy]

[gottabekd]

In all honesty, I think clarifying the copyright laws for digital media is necessary. The important thing to me is to keep consumers informed about their rights, and that any legislation introduced acknowledges the rights of consumers.

For example, in regards to "illegal...[to] copy music from protected CDs to IPods": If the content distributors want that, and think it is a good thing, then fine. But make sure consumers are aware that if they purchase the CD, they'll have to purchase it again via iTunes or the like to listen on their portable device. And then the consumer can make the decision "what BS", and either go download the album from the illegal underground that will always exist, or just decide not to support companies that take their customers for granted. Either way, this type of content protection will fail, and the media companies will finally have to change their business practices.

[Azure]

I think we should get together and raid the House of Commons.

Or vote the Conservatives out.

I'm not impressed.

[troutman]

I have this friend. He torrents mp3s for albums he already purchased.

Is that so wrong?

[FlamesKickAss]

Wow that is BS.

what does a unlocked phone do, except force people to buy the dumbed down version of phones so that the companies can make more money. If rogers and what not offered more services on their phones and ability to use songs from memory to be ring tones and not just downloaded ones then they wouldn't have to worry about unlocked phones.

Whats the point o PVRs if you cant record a show?

Besides this isn't going to stop people fron continuing to do what they do. I bet even harper's kids have downloaded music, and pvrs, ipods.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by gottabekd

In all honesty, I think clarifying the copyright laws for digital media is necessary. The important thing to me is to keep consumers informed about their rights, and that any legislation introduced acknowledges the rights of consumers.

For example, in regards to "illegal...[to] copy music from protected CDs to IPods": If the content distributors want that, and think it is a good thing, then fine. But make sure consumers are aware that if they purchase the CD, they'll have to purchase it again via iTunes or the like to listen on their portable device. And then the consumer can make the decision "what BS", and either go download the album from the illegal underground that will always exist, or just decide not to support companies that take their customers for granted. Either way, this type of content protection will fail, and the media companies will finally have to change their business practices.

Gibbled copy protected CDs exist on store shelves next to normal spec compact disks and are virtually indistinguishable from one another. It's not until your mom calls you and asks how she can put her latest Sony artist recording on her iPod that she discovers she bought a crippled product. By then it's too late: the company already has her money and there's no way to get it back.

Aside from buying a CD for an artist you like, your only other options are to download the song from iTunes (or the like) OR get it illegally. There isn't a lot of choice there and I don't see that changing in the near future. Buying a CD in a physical store has a lot going for it: it's the most familiar way most of us buy music. iTunes and it's competitors are catching on, no dobut, but it will take some time for that form of distribution to overcome the CD's inertia.

The music industry is banking on this and in the end it is having its cake and eating it too. They are simultaneously half-heartedly supporting the digital distribution of music through the internet while seeking to protect the traditional brick and mortar music racket. The speculative provisions in the new copyright bill will only strengthen this hypocricy.

[FlamesKickAss]

wow found this article on there too. Pretty crazy

http://www.nationalpost.com/related/...html?id=536951

[fredr123]

Jim Prentice is currently the MP responsible for this proposed legislation.



Constituency Office
Suite 105
1318 Centre St NE
Calgary, Alberta T2E 2R7
403 216-7777
Fax 403 230-4368
Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by troutman

I have this friend. He torrents mp3s for albums he already purchased.

Is that so wrong?

Your friend is obviously a criminal and should be bankrupted with fines or sent off to a Canadian prison wherein his ass will be pounded.

[Pagal4321]

For Calgary-Nose Hill

Constituency Office
1107 - 17th Ave NW
Calgary, AB T2M 0P7
Phone (403) 282-7980
Fax (403) 282-3587
Email diane@dianeablonczy.com

[Azure]

I emailed my MP about it.

I suggest everyone do the same.

[kermitology]

The cell phone and PVR things are appalling to me. I PAY for TV. I PAY for timeshifting, screw you for thinking that I can't record it whenever the hell I want!

And cell phones.. Come on.. Rogers must be so hard up for money with those outrageous data rates they charge that they have to force us to buy our cell phones from them too.

[Table 5]

and here i thought the Conservatives were for a small government that stays out of people's business. I guess that only applies when it's a corporations business.

[someguy51]

Whatever happened to fair use?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Table 5

and here i thought the Conservatives were for a small government that stays out of people's business. I guess that only applies when it's a corporations business.

No kidding.

Thats exactly what I told my MP. Screw them for wanting to make a criminal out of me because I do stuff that should be perfectly legal.

And the lobbyists for the music industry who are pushing this bill through can go screw themselves too.

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Azure

I emailed my MP about it.

I suggest everyone do the same.

How do I know who my MP is, and how do I get in touch with them? I'm up in the Patterson Hills area, and I think we got Rob Anders last time.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Azure

And the lobbyists for the music industry who are pushing this bill through can go screw themselves too.

The industry should be more worried about our backlash.