ARCHIVED — Michael K. Steeves
Archived Content
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
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 Michael K. Steeves received on September 11, 2001 via e-mail
Subject: Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues
To Industry Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Intellectual Property Policy Directorate, Dr. Elsie Wayne (MP for Saint John) and other concerned agencies:I have been watching with interest the debacle of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the US over the past few years.
I am now informed that similar legislation is being investigated in Canada as the Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues (CPCDI).
These measures, based on the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), give far too much power to publishers, at the expense of indivdiuals' rights. The DMCA itself is already under legal challenge in the US, has gravely chilled scientists' and computer security researchers' freedom of expression around the world for fear of being prosecuted in the US, and resulted in the arrest of a Russian programmer.
These provisions would amend the Canadian Copyright Act to ban, with few or no exceptions, software and other tools that allow copy prevention technologies to be bypassed. This would violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantee of freedom of speech, and similar guarantees in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, since such tools are necessary to exercise lawful uses, including fair dealing, reverse engineering, computer security research and many others.
As an engineer, I urge you to remove these controversial and freedom limiting provisions which pander to the interests of largely American corporations. We do not need the federal government to protect foreign corporate interests against individuals. The DMCA is already an international debacle. Its flaws should not be imported and forced on Canadians.
Sincerely,
Michael K. Steeves P. Eng.
(address removed)
- Date modified:
