NDP candidate to make copyright a byelection issue in Guelph, Ont.
Last Updated: Friday, July 11, 2008 | 4:59 PM ET
CBC News
NDP candidate Tom King pledged Friday to make the federal government's copyright reform bill an issue in the upcoming byelection in Guelph, Ont.
One of three ridings that will hold federal byelections in early September, Guelph is expected to be hotly contested by Conservative candidate Gloria Kovach and Liberal candidate Frank Valeriote, after incumbent Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain resigned in April.
King, a longtime artist and writer, urged Guelph-area residents to get politically involved to prevent the proposed copyright legislation from becoming law and push for rules that are fair to artists and consumers. Valeriote couldn't be reached for comment.
Bill C-61, introduced last month by Industry Minister Jim Prentice and Heritage Minister Josée Verner, seeks to update Canada's copyright rules and bring them in line with the country's obligations under the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty signed more than a decade ago.
The bill spells out Canadians' rights with respect to digital copying of content, granting permission to make copies of books, photographs, music and other media.
It found support with a number of entertainment industry groups, including the Entertainment Software Association of Canada and the Canadian Recording Industry Association, for proposing methods of stopping illegal piracy of copyrighted works.
However, the source of most of the criticism is the bill's anti-circumvention clause, which would allow copyright holders to place digital locks on content to prevent copies from being made. Critics claim the clause invalidates all of the other rights granted, thus heavily skewing the bill in favour of copyright holders.
"Under Bill C-61, if you purchase a new computer and move the songs from your iPod to the new computer, the Conservatives believe that is a criminal offence," King said in a news release. "This type of American approach to copyright law does not benefit Canadian consumers, or Canadian artists."
King said he is looking forward to working with grassroots activists on the issue.
The proposed bill won't progress much over the next few months as Parliament is adjourned until Sept. 15. When it resumes, the bill will receive its second reading and then be sent to a committee for closer scrutiny. The Conservatives could make it a confidence bill, meaning that if opposition parties voted it down, they would force an election.
