Shepp GeekTech – A Tech Geek’s Blog

Proposed Copyright Bill in Canada is Draconian August 30, 2008

Here is an excerpt from an article by Charles Moore:

If Bill C-61 passes, peer-to-peer file sharing and downloading any copyrighted material without permission as well as making material available for others to download would become illegal, as would circumventing digital locks (Digital Rights Management or DRM) put on music or software by manufacturers. “Time-shifting-” recording a TV or radio using tape or a digital device in order to view it later – would still be legal, but recording television shows and movies for compilation in personal libraries or collections would not, nor would ripping DVDs to iPod Video if a digital lock has been imposed to block change of format. Posting copyright-protected work onto a website such as Facebook or YouTube or making music libraries available for peer-to-peer access on the Internet will also be prohibited, with penalties of up to $20,000 per infringement (http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/391991).

I have two big objections to the bill.

Firstly, the bill proposes to make it illegal to even have copyrighted digital files on your computer that you may have downloaded on a p2p network.  Some would say that this makes sense since the owner did not obtain the files legally.  My question is do you want the government to have the legal right to search your computer for these files and invade your privacy rights?  My understanding is that they already have the right to arbitrarily search your laptop when crossing the US-Canada border.  The Canadian government has no business in the computers of the nation (with apologies to Trudeau for the misquote).

Secondly, making it illegal to remove DRM from files is ridiculous.  If I buy a song in iTunes and I am stuck with listening to it on my iPod only.  I can’t stick it on my Sansa mp3 player.  Well, I can but I would have to remove DRM, which according to this bill would make me a criminal despite the fact that I legally own the file.

Let me make it clear that I support intellectual property rights and believe that authors and artists should be compensated for their work.  I think that copyright regulations already go too far and inhibit openness and the sharing of ideas.  Now, Bill C-61 would institute a digital tyranny that would be difficult to curtail later when we realize too late that it has gone too far.