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WATCH OUT FOR THE DMCA PARADE: Angus Warns Lobbyists Setting Groundwork for New Copyright Legislation

05 May, 2008

Compose MsgWith new copyright legislation said to be just weeks away, MP Charlie Angus, the NDP Spokesman on Digital Issues, is advising Canadians to watch out for a carefully orchestrated pageant by the trade lobbyists. Angus predicts that certain politicians and lobbyists will try to drum up fear over Canada’s reluctance to sign on for heavily restrictive, U.S.-style Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) legislation.

Last fall, the Conservatives balked at introducing a DMCA-style bill in the House of Commons after witnessing the massive backlash from consumer groups and education institutions. Angus says the Conservatives don’t want to make the same mistake again.

The DMCA lobby will be working closely with the government to create a false impression that there’s an international crisis of confidence in Canada’s copyright regime. They will attempt to portray copyright as a black and white battle against pirates, thieves and criminals. In doing so, they will tar the efforts of educators, consumer groups and artist’s organization who recognize that the DMCA is the wrong model for Canada.

Compose Msg
DMCA advocates have attempted to portray Canada as a pirate haven for failing to ratify the WIPO agreement. Angus points out that many of Canada’s competitors are in exactly the same position, and that Canada could easily ratify WIPO without agreeing to the onerous restrictions included in the DMCA legislation. He says politicians need to wake up to the problems with the DMCA.

The DMCA is a failed model. It doesn’t work in the United States and it won’t address the needs of a 21st century innovation agenda in Canada. However, U.S. trade lobbyists are intent on bringing Canada to heel. They will try to choreograph a sense of fear that Canada is somehow failing internationally if we don’t go the DMCA route.

Angus says Canada can come forward with legislation that will protect intellectual property while encouraging innovation. However, it is necessary for legislators to separate important issues such as counterfeiting and bootlegging from issues of fair use and educational research.

Compose MsgThe lobbyists have been unfairly treating all consumers as if they were thieves and hackers. Certainly we need legislation that is tough on counterfeiting, but that legislation must not criminalize teachers who get materials off the internet, and it must not give the green light to major corporations to launch massive lawsuits against children who trade Hanna Montana songs.

Angus is one of the only MPs who has relied on income from copyright royalties from music, book and textbook sales to make a living. He says the New Democratic Party strongly supports fair remuneration for artists but that copyright must be looking forward to the 21st century reality rather than attempting to force consumers back to an obsolete 20th century business model.


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