ARCHIVED — Ashten Remwa
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COPYRIGHT REFORM PROCESS
SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED REGARDING THE CONSULTATION PAPERS
Documents received have been posted in the official language in which they were submitted. All are posted as received by the departments, however all address information has been removed.
Submission from Ashten Remwa received on September 10, 2001 via e-mail
Subject: Canada Copyright Reform
c/o Intellectual Property Policy Directorate
Industry Canada
235 Queen Street
5th Floor West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5 Canada
fax: (613) 941-8151
VIA E-MAIL: copyright-droitdauteur@ic.gc.ca
Dear Canada, Industry Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Intellectual Property Policy Directorate and other concerned Canadian Agencies,
I am writing in opposition to the intellectual property provisions of the Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues (CPCDI). These provisions do not reflect the necessary balance between promoting public welfare through access to information and the advancement of knowledge verses author-investor-publisher interests.
As new forms of technology cause nations to re-examine the relevance and applicability of national and international copyright laws, it is extremely important to stay focused on the goal of copyright legislation and treaties, INCREASING SOCIAL WELFARE [1]. ( The goal is not promotion of corporate welfare, notwithstanding the importance of this goal.)
The US copyright legislation (aka DMCA)[2] and the Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues (CPCDI) have lost the focus of INCREASING SOCIAL WELFARE. These documents contain sections/provisions potentially eliminating public access to and fair use of public information and knowledge. It remains to be determined whether these sections/provisions can withstand economic scrutiny (I suspect it may increases deadweight?). However, a growing consensus believes they cannot and will not withstand Constitutional scrutiny in any nation adhering to democratic principles.
I urge the Canadian People, the Canadian Government, Industry Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Intellectual Property Policy Directorate and other concerned Canadian agencies NOT to pattern their intellectual property provisions on the DMCA or the Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues (CPCDI). Rather, I urge them to reject the American style DMCA and the Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues (CPCDI) imbalances and adopt IP sections guaranteeing public access to and fair use of public information, thereby INCREASING SOCIAL WELFARE in our "digital age".
Sincerely Yours,
Ashten Remwa
An American
1 Social welfare and deadweight are used in the economic sense.
2 Digital Millennium Copyright Act 17 USC 1201 et seq.
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