'Anti-consumer' copyright bill on way'

[PanaEng]

shared iaw fair dealing provisions of the copyright act (SIAWFDPCA)  ;-)

'Anti-consumer' copyright bill on way: expert'
By Peter Nowak, CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/05/05/copyright-reform-bill.html

The government is preparing to unveil what may be the "most anti-consumer copyright bill in Canadian history," according to University of Ottawa expert Michael Geist.

New reform legislation will be introduced in the House of Commons in the next six weeks, likely in June, Geist said on his blog Wednesday. Citing unnamed sources, Geist said the bill would mirror the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act by enshrining copyright holders' rights in several ways, to the detriment of consumers.

The bill would prevent the breaking of digital locks put on electronic devices and content and eliminate the notion of fair dealing, where institutions such as schools and the media have copyright exemptions, Geist said.

(emphasis mine - more in the full article)

I like my freedom and want to be able to use other peoples/entities published work in a fair way in order to discuss issues - like we do here!
If these changes affect the way we do things, I am afraid forums like this will disappear.  (we are already one of the most anal groups in internet-land regarding this - with good reason)

I have a lot of respect for Dr Geist and I am concerned. Is the fear overblown? I rather err on the side of caution.

cheers,
Frank

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

I think much copyright law is plain silly.  Extending it is sillier.  Requiring students to request permission to make quotes in papers would be the silliest.

The annoying thing is that old material with absolutely no commercial value cannot be used for fear that the unknown author might have defied odds and lived to over 100 years old and his great-grandkids want to cash in.  The extension of copyright on photos from 50 years to the life of the author plus 50 years created endless potential headaches for new authors.  A publisher has the choice of voluntarily paying the royalty to protect himself but why would he do so when there is a 99% chance an item is public domain.  I think copyrights should be registered to have an extension beyond the authors life.

Another silliness is that everyone who copies material in the public domain slaps a copyright notice on it further fuzzifying the matter.


Harr you landlubbers.  If you be ticked off by copyright law there be the Pirate Party of Canada:

http://www.pirateparty.ca/