ARCHIVED — John Kratochvil
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COPYRIGHT REFORM PROCESS
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Submission from John Kratochvil received on September 13, 2001 via e-mail
Subject: SPCDI Comments
To Whom it May Condern:
I noted with concern that the Canadian government is considering the thorny issues of digital rights management in the modern age. These issues are of concern to all residents of Canada, and extreme caution should be exercised before any proposed legislation is enacted.
It is clear to me that the US DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) favors the rights of the corporate copyright holders over fair use by the individual. The addition of the SSSCA (Security Systems Standards and Certification Act) provides a totalitarian aspect to the whole system, one which clearly believes that every consumer is a criminal looking for any excuse to bilk the copyright holder of any revenue.
The DMCA has already been used in the USA to limit the freedom of expression of researchers. Yet the proposed limitations and restrictions will do little to dissuade the real pirates, working offshore to reproduce materials in bulk. These restrictions only serve to remove all fair use provisions from the citizens.
The CPDCI appears to remove such simple and proven rights of Canadians to perform basic fair use of copyrighted materials. Gone will be the ability to record a CD to a tape to use in the car. Gone will be the ability to quote printed materials in book reports or other academic literature. Gone will be the ability to record a television program for later viewing. These are rights that Canadian citizens possess; however the CPDCI removes the tools that we may need to enact these rights.
I urge you to reconsider the CPDCI and its intent. The concerns of corporate copyright holders are important, but so are the individual rights of the Citizens of Canada.
Sincerely,
John Kratochvil
Director of IT
Economic Development Edmonton
(Address removed)
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