Canada Goes to Hell

Here is the bullshit, talking-points, form email I received from my MP, the honourable Harold Albrecht, in response to an email (I also sent the same via snail mail) I sent him regarding Bill C-61, An Act to Amend the Canadian Copyright Act:

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for your e-mail of June 16th regarding changes to Canadian copyright law. I always appreciate hearing from constituents. I hope the following information will help to alleviate your concerns on this issue.

As you are aware, today our Government introduced Bill C-61, An Act to Amend the Copyright Act. I believe that the copyright reform our Government has proposed is much needed and long overdue. It has been ten years since the last major reform of this important legislation, and in that time we have seen nothing short of an Internet revolution and major advancements in technology.

This is a balanced, made-in-Canada approach to copyright reform that will help ensure fair access by Canadian consumers to copyright material and protection of the rights of Canadians who create material that is copyrighted.

The proposed amendments would implement:

* New exceptions for Canadian consumers, so they can record TV shows for later viewing; copy legally acquired music onto other devices, such as MP3 players or cell phones; and make backup copies of legally acquired books, newspapers, videocassettes and photographs onto devices they own;
* New rights and protections for copyright owners, tailored to the Internet, to encourage participation in the online economy, as well as stronger legal means to address Internet piracy;
* Exceptions for some educational and research purposes to promote innovation and enrich the educational experience;
* Clarity for Internet service providers on their roles and responsibilities in relation to copyright, in order to support the growth of Internet services in Canada; and
* Rights for photographers equal to those of other creators.

I believe this copyright reform promotes innovation and competition in a digital, knowledge-based economy.

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

Thank you again for taking the time to write on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any other issues of importance to you.


Sincerely,

Harold Albrecht, MP
Kitchener-Conestoga

Considering I've already read this email elsewhere on the internet, this is rather insulting. I guess my MP doesn't really care about being representative of or considerate of his constituents and would rather be a giant tool.

So please contact your MP about this issue. Hopefully he is as cool as the honourable member from Timmins-James Bay, Charlie Angus. That guy always rocks on CPAC.

Copyright and the Superman

So there was a pretty big ruling concern the ownership of Superman (i.e. the copyright to the character). A Court of Law has reverted half of the copyright to Action Comics #1 and the character of Superman as defined therein. This to the heirs of Jerry Siegel according to a piece of copyright reform. Artist and co-creator Joe Shuster's estate (Shuster having no heirs) will have its chance at its half of the copyright according to a separate piece of copyright reform come 2013. This applies only to the U.S. DC Comics maintains its international interests.

Some thoughts:

1) I'm going to be pissed if this adversely affects All-Star Superman (it'll likely be finished before DC Comics' appeal on the ruling is even processed).

2) Copyright reform is going in the wrong direction.

3) Superman should be in the public domain.

4) Copyright should last no longer than 25 years. Even that's being generous, I think.

The origins of copyright lie in not creating a continuous cashcow for your life, and the lives of your children and their children, but to let you profit for an extended period from successful work as way of inspiring creativity and continuation thereof. Copyright has lost its way. It'd be best to scrap the whole system and start anew, except for the massive Media Conglomerate Lobbies that have already ruined copyright would still be at the forefront. As can be seen in the case of the Music Industry v. the Internet and the Advancement of Technology, copyright should be the benefit of Artists and not Record Labels.