Beer Day 3: An Act to Amend the Copyright Act

Beer is the Reason:  I'm happy to get a response from a government official, even if I don't agree with the Bill that's being pushed.

Well I recently sent a letter to the Honourable Josee Verner, P.C, M.P. about my concerns about the new Bill -61 that was introduced to the Commons on June 12, 2008.   Here is his reply to it:

The Government of Canada has introduced Bill C-61, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act. The proposed legislation is a made-in-Canada approach that balances the needs of Canadian consumers and copyright owners, promoting culture, innovation and competition in the digital age.

What does Bill C-61 mean to Canadians?

Specifically, it includes measures that would:

• expressly allow you to record TV shows for later viewing; copy legally purchased music onto other devices, such as MP3 players or cell phones; make back-up copies of legally purchased books, newspapers, videocassettes and photographs onto devices you own; and limit the "statutory damages" a court could award for all private use copyright infringements;
  

• implement new rights and protections for copyright holders, tailored to the Internet, to encourage participation in the online economy, as well as stronger legal remedies to address Internet piracy;
  

• clarify the roles and responsibilities of Internet Service Providers related to the copyright content flowing over their network facilities; and
  

• provide photographers with the same rights as other creators.
  

What Bill C-61 does not do:

• it would not empower border agents to seize your iPod or laptop at border crossings, contrary to recent public speculation
  

What this Bill is not:

• it is not a mirror image of U.S. copyright laws. Our Bill is made-in-Canada with different exceptions for educators, consumers and others and brings us into line with more than 60 countries including Japan, France, Germany and Australia
  

Bill C-61 was introduced in the Commons on June 12, 2008 by Industry Minister Jim Prentice and Heritage Minister Josée Verner.

For more information, please visit the Copyright Reform Process website at www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/crp-prda.nsf/en/home

Thank you for sharing your views on this important matter.

The Honourable Jim Prentice, P.C., Q.C., M.P.

Minister of Industry

The Honourable Josée Verner, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women 

and Official Languages and Minister for 

La Francophonie

I thank him for actually responding to my SOME of my concerns.   Other questions don't fly though.  

Regarding the above letter it says we're able to shift media we bought legally onto our other devices to watch at our leisure, for example DVD movies, but we're not allowed to crack the digital encryption that protect said media thereby resulting in fines.  How does that work if there's no protection against "breaking" that security.  No studios are going to give us the keys to the security software to disable it legally.

Why were we only hearing about the bill days, at most a few weeks, before it was brought before the Commons?  Why the secrecy and no public consultation if it was indeed an in-Canada act.  No pressure from the RIAA or others because they don't like the current digital atmosphere in Canada?   Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.....and if you believe that I've got a bridge that I'd like to sell you.

This post is unofficially brought to you by R.I.D.E.  If I had been drinking last night I would have been in shit.  Thank you Steamwhistle for tasting the way you do.