Everyday Copyright Woes

Imagine this: You just got an iPod Video from the greatest parents in the world and you are really excited about how it's going to change the way you watch video, listen to music, work out, travel, and everything else you had to do with that brick of a 90's discman you had forever. You plug that pretty piece of shiny new technology into your computer via the USB port and start synchronizing with your newly downloaded version of iTunes. You start inserting CDs and copying the information to your library: Old school stuff first, like 2Pac, maybe some Smashing Pumpkins, whatever your fancy. Then you get to the fantastic exit CD of the Gorillaz, push it into the CD/DVD drive and get ready to upload.

Then you get an error. The CD is copy protected and you're SOL. Now, you have a couple of options of course: you can buy the whole CD (or your few favourite tracks) on iTunes to put it on the iPod. You're mad all of a sudden, you already bought the CD, you paid good money to the record company and now they want you to buy it again to use your iPod. Why the hell should you have to do that?

Then you remember that you live in Vancouver, Canada. The DMCA doesn't apply here and circumventing copy protection (or DRM) is not illegal here. You bust out the sharpie, draw you line and you're good to go. Gorillaz on the new iPod sweetness.

A couple of days later you pick up the Vancouver Sun and read that some MP in Alberta named Jim Prentice wants to introduce a copyright bill in Canada that would be strickingly similar to the American DMCA. You read more about this on the internet and get the impression that this is not something that the Canadian music industry wants, but more the American corporate special interests that seem to have their hands in Canadian politics. You feel that Canada is a different place than America, we have different values and we think that having to buy a song, CD or DVD more than once in order to use it on the hundreds of dollars worth of equipment you've bought is way too anti-consumer. But what can you do?

Realise that the best form of democracy and advocacy is still organisation. Protest, petition writing, and contacting your provincial and federal representatives are the avenues that individuals have to make change. When enough of us get together, we can't be ignored, because a politican can't be anything without the people.

Here's where you can start, know the issue:

Fair Copyright for Canada
Michael Geist - Tech Law Blogger
Digital Copyright Canada

And of course, contact the government! All mail sent to parliament is free, no stamp necessary!

Find your member of Parliament
Write the Prime Minister of Canada
Write Jim Prentice

Lastly, join the effort and join the facebook group here!

Say no to the CDMCA!