As Canada considers a new copyright bill with some apparent similarities to the US DMCA, one MP is trying to clear up misconceptions. New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus has written an open letter to Industry Minister Jim Prentice, arguing that Canada can ratify a key WIPO treaty without passing draconian DRM legislation. Here’s a taste: “Parliament must also stay away from the more hysterical claims that we need to start banning circumvention devices. This is like saying we need to ban axes because they could be used to break down a door.”
For months now, rumors have swirled about a new copyright bill being prepped by Prentice (though the text has never been officially introduced). The bill was pulled from Parliament’s calendar late last year after a popular uprising against several of its leaked proposals. Critics charged that the bill was simply a “Canadian DMCA,” while proponents often claimed that the bill was necessary since Canada had signed (but never ratified) some key World Intellectual Property Organization treaties in the 1990s. (link)
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