# Apparently I'm a "copyright extremist" and MP James Moore wants me "defeated"



## Guest (Jun 23, 2010)

I've been conversing with MP James Moore and MP Tony Clement via Twitter on the proposed copyright "reform" bill they introduced about 6 weeks ago. Bill C-32 is their attempt at reform that's even-handed and fair.

I started out letting them know that, on the whole, I thought they actually did a reasonable job of hitting that goal. It puts in some provisions for pursuing file sharing type infringements but it opens up a whole bunch of fair use scenarios for consumers that I like. Things like time shifting, format shifting and backing up content you've licensed.

EXCEPT: all the fair use and evenness of the bill flys out the window if there's a "digital lock" on the content. Any kind of lock. It could be a single bit in the file that indicates "this file is not to be copied". Circumventing it puts you in a very serious class of criminal no matter what your use case. So: all their "fairnessn" and "even-handedness" is destroyed because lets face it: everything has locks on it. Even if they're more symbolic than serious in their role.

Yesterday MP James Moore warned the Canadian public about people like me. "Radical extremist" who have no idea how copyright works and are just trying to destroy copyright in Canada. Here's the video:

[YOUTUBE]03IhHeZwJuM[/YOUTUBE]

Oh, and MP James Moore has blocked me on Twitter. I join the ranks of Michael Geist and Cory Doctorow there -- guess I can't be too upset, that's good company. Apparently he doesn't want to hear from the actual people who have a stake in copyright legislation in this country.

This is my open letter to MP James Moore: when you've got songs in the iTunes store and you create software that generates revenue that keeps a company alive, when you've got patents to your name, then you can call me a "copyright extremist". I have a very serious stake in all of this reform and it matters very much to me that it _is_ fair to the consumers and the fairness clauses aren't just ghost clauses, completely trumped by psychotically restrictive legislation that turns this bill back in C-62 without actually saying, "Hey, this is just bill C-62 again, mmmkay?"


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

He really doesn't sound like a member of parliament, but rather another MBA blowhard shilling for his corporate bosses. After watching that a$$hole pontificate I feel like I've been scolded. Why is it these guys in our present government always sound so angry and righteous? Can't we be offered a point of view without being bullied or villified?

Shawn.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Rugburn said:


> He really doesn't sound like a member of parliament, but rather another MBA blowhard shilling for his corporate bosses. After watching that a$$hole pontificate I feel like I've been scolded. Why is it these guys in our present government always sound so angry and righteous? Can't we be offered a point of view without being bullied or villified?
> 
> Shawn.


Wow. Agreed. Talk about extremist himself! James Moore doesn't recognize himself as an extremist. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2010)

Rugburn said:


> He really doesn't sound like a member of parliament, but rather another MBA blowhard shilling for his corporate bosses. After watching that a$$hole pontificate I feel like I've been scolded. Why is it these guys in our present government always sound so angry and righteous? Can't we be offered a point of view without being bullied or villified?


Well put Shawn. I grow weary of politicians who look down on their constituants -- like we're beneath their intellect and can't possibly understand the world they think they were elected to control.


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

well perhaps as a fitting punishment we should send you to face execution by firing squad?


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

This is war man


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2010)

As musicians, as creators of content that is directly protected by this legislation, I encourage you to speak your mind to your local MP, MP James Moore and MP Tony Clement (it was a joint bill between those two). Tell them what you like, what you don't like. They might listen to letters. I usually get a good response on the phone when I leave MP Gordon Brown a message.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

People usually get irritable and dogmatic about stuff they don't understand well. 

It's fairly safe to say that, for whatever other strengths they may have, and for whatever commendable reasons people voted for them, a great number of current cabinet ministers don't seem particularly well-versed in the portfolios they oversee. That's not this government's "fault". *No* party can assure that they get members elected who are savvy in all necessary areas, be they natural resource, heritage, foreign trade, environmental, infrastructure, or communications technology issues, or whatever, and are "cabinet-ready". The PMO can certainly assign people to those portfolios they feel are the least worst mismatch with their skillsets, but if you're a minority government, there are real numerical limits to the bench strength you have to draw on to make those assignments. So I think under those circumstances, you can end up with folks who are assigned to a portfolio that they need a LOT of support and ramp-up time to manage. And until they feel completely comfortable in it and able to think fluidly on their feet, they tend to deal with challenge by barking loudly. Sadly, under those circumstances, its the briefing notes from the people in communications and ministerial staffers that are actually at the mic, not the minister.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2010)

Mark, I don't expect my politicians to understand their portfolios completely. That's why they have staff and experts -- to help guide them. People who are there irregardless of which MP owns the portfolio.

It's his speech (which, we were told was off-script) that really gets to me. If I stood in front of a room of customers and told them they were fools and radicals: I'd be fired. He's not capable of handling his position as the public face of this bill, that is readily apparent in this speech and in tweets I've exchanged with him.

I don't ask my politicians to be anything but respectful. And that, he is not. He's stepping on a lot of people who aren't, as he says, "radicals" or stupid or un-connected to this bill. Case in point: me. 

His boss will be getting a letter. At this point I want a retraction and apology. And I want the open debate to resume. You don't get to shut down open discussion by labeling anyone with a different viewpoint a "radical". At least not when you're the MP tabling the bill.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Typical response form the current government is to only say what the boss allows. This usually results in someone needing to be a demon that they can protect us from. Our current system of party politics is failing.

Little known fact: Members of Cabinet do not have to be elected to office. The PM has the power to choose members sitting in parliament (from any party) or from the public. There is no reason to have incompetent members in control, other than a political one.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

ronmac said:


> Little known fact: Members of Cabinet do not have to be elected to office. The PM has the power to choose members sitting in parliament (from any party) or from the public. There is no reason to have incompetent members in control, other than a political one.


True, and it does happen from time to time. Although the Canadian public would not take kindly to an arrangement such as found in the USA, where the president simply appoints Secretaries (= cabinet minister) they deem competent for the job. We expect our decision-makers to enter the job via the REAL decision-makers - the voters.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

OK..don't bite my head off because i did'nt realy follow this bill, and i also hate politics. BUT, this bill does seem to be a Good thing for copyrights no?...


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2010)

al3d said:


> OK..don't bite my head off because i did'nt realy follow this bill, and i also hate politics. BUT, this bill does seem to be a Good thing for copyrights no?...


Bite your head off? No way that'd happen. 

It is and it isn't. Like I said: they did a lot to ensure fair use rights were covered by the bill IF AND ONLY IF the content isn't "protected". So: you still can't backup or format-shift your DVDs. Digital TV: forget about trying to take it off your Roger's PVR -- it's "protected". Heck, if the broadcast has a "do not record" flag, you can't time shift it. And that's just what consumers lose out on. It's worse for researchers. You can't point out flaws in protection systems -- that's illegal (and carries a penalty that's absurd). You can't really do anything with any technology that's protected: integrate, reverse engineer, etc. That might seem good, but really very much of what you use today was built upon technologies that came before it. Everything is an incremental improvement, not an idea born in a vacuum. And this bill completely ignores that fact.

Want to write a script that interacts with your favourite forum? Maybe makes a random post to a thread every 15 minutes? All the forum owner has to do is change http to https and that's now illegal. They own the content, and the content is encrypted. Even thought I've been granted access to the content via a web browser, it doesn't mean I can access it via another means.

You see where this is going? The ramifications for software development alone are quite serious.

Edit: here's a best-selling Canadian author's opinion on why the digital lock provisions are so bad: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/23/a-canadian-authors-p.html


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Mark, I don't expect my politicians to understand their portfolios completely. That's why they have staff and experts -- to help guide them. People who are there irregardless of which MP owns the portfolio.
> 
> It's his speech (which, we were told was off-script) that really gets to me.


I'll just say that I have a legal obligation to be nonpartisan, and leave it at that.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The debate rages on, as does the minister: CBC News - Music - Heritage minister rakes copyright bill critics


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2010)

mhammer said:


> The debate rages on, as does the minister: CBC News - Music - Heritage minister rakes copyright bill critics


Yes and Moore himself is denying saying he called people "radical extremists". Because, you know, _video lies_, right? From that article:



> "By mid-morning yesterday, attendees were not confirming the comment, Moore was denying it, and the event video did not include it. That might have been the end of the story, but IT World Canada reporter Brian Jackson compiled his own video of the event and posted it online. The Jackson video included the reference and made it clear that Moore was not being forthright in his private claims (the event organizer site later added the same video). The lack of candor is rather rich given that Moore's comments tried to paint critics of the bill as misleading the public."


Wow. I just don't know how to respond to that kind of behaviour.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

iaresee said:


> Wow. I just don't know how to respond to that kind of behaviour.


I do, and I'll be responding to this kind of behavior just as soon as an election is called!


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

i say put him up against the wall in front of the firing squad! =)


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2010)

Rugburn said:


> I do, and I'll be responding to this kind of behavior just as soon as an election is called!


Really, trying to cover it up was the worst possible thing he could have done. That's political suicide. It was too well documented to be hidden.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2010)

In comparison MP Tony Clement has been encouraging the discussion to continue: http://twitter.com/michaelgeist/status/16927823973


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