The Needles: Goodbye, Mr. (Mod)Chips

[Andy Chalk]

The Needles: Goodbye, Mr. (Mod)Chips

Soon, if the Canadian government has its way, the simple act of backing up your games could make you a criminal.

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[Keava]

It is sadly the result of people without any qualification or knowledge on the subject making laws based on their own, outdated assumptions, simple ignorance and/or whispers from the corporations that have interest in forcing certain solutions.

The only moment, we, as simple citizens have a moment to say Aye or Nay is during the election, but since politicians are not obligated by law to say truth and only truth and be in 100% faithful to their promises, it doesn't work.

In the end such measures should be resolved by a designated group consisting of all sides. Customers, corporate representatives, politicians and experts. The whole legislation process should be as transparent as possible and they should consider all angles of the matter discussed.

I am curious what is the stance of organizations that deal with customer rights on this law, and is such law okay with them, seeing as it clearly limits the end-users rights to use a product they bought.

 

[Matt_LRR]

Thank you so much for writing this - you have no idea how pleased it makes me to see word of this bill (which is well-intentioned, mostly) and this problem with it, getting out.

People need to care about this, because it will have long-standing and serious effects on how we canadaians are able to use the products we buy - and right now, the government is saying loud and clear that corporate interests are worth a great deal more than consumer rights.

-m

 

[jabrwock]

I suspect that this bill may die, like the others, due to election/prorogation. The government is threatening this in the fall.

It almost seems suspicious actually, every time they've introduced copyright legislation, it's been under the "look, see! we're being tough on crime!" category of "vapour-bills", that seem designed to fluff up support among their base, but are never intended to actually see the light of day.

My MP, a Conservative, natch, refused to talk to me when I contacted her office about this. My only question was "why is it wrong to allow breaking DRM for non-infringing uses?" She'd probably call me a radical terrorist and hang up on me...

One of the ministers tried to blow off DRM criticism by announcing how many CDs he had ripped on to his iPod... twit.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Good lord, do they even consider thinking through half the stuff they try to pass? This is unbelievably short sighted, what exactly do they expect to gain from this?

As an avid user of game modifications, this would not only kill the modding scene on hundreds of games.

The Canadian Government is a complete and utter waste. They spend 1.2 billion dollars on security, and can't even control downtown Toronto riots. Our Prime Minister is an ineffectual moron who can't make any decision, and the opposition parties are no better.

The bastards heads are so far up their own asses that they don't even see how this will fuck them over just as much as anyone else.

This bill is complete undiluted, utter bullshit.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I suspect that this bill may die, like the others, due to election/prorogation. The government is threatening this in the fall..

Oh for fucks sakes, again!? I say we just nuke the bastards from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[Sporky111]

The government really needs to pay more attention to the consumers in this. Something that seems benign, like respecting DRM measures, becomes very sinister when you think of just how it'll affect the market in terms of copy protection.

I'm definitely going to try and contact my MP about this, because as much good as the Bill could do it has the potential to cause far more problems.

 

[JRCB]

Good read, and this is very bad. You're not even allowed to burn CDs from iTunes? What the hell is that button for, then? This is bloody stupid, and I hope it fails.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I've already sent the necessary e-mails to my MP, the ministers footing the bill and the PM voicing my objection to the bill, as have most of my friends.

Massive public outcry stopped the last one and the papers have been running articles about the problems inherent in this one, so it hopefully won't go through.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

France, Korea, China, UK, US, Australia and now Canada.

When will Governments learn that by taking technical information from interested parties, it only leads to biased laws?

Like the Australian lass a few days ago..."I hear it may slow down the internet".

If you are seriously going to bring in wide-ranging laws that define civil liberties, perhaps the FIRST thing you should do is talk to people on both sides of the argument?

And THEN see that the people giving you information aren't named Wormtongue, or that ilk.

That CD you've copied for yourself? We've already seen that it's equivalent to Corporate Manslaughter. And by hiding it's rise to power during the troubles of Afghanistan, people won't realise it's law until too late.

And then, who's going to use that same law in the way the Anti-Terrorism law has been used here?

Can't find anything in this suspected Terrorist's house, Guv.
You sure, Constable?
Well, we did find this CD he's burnt onto a backup.
The Bastard! I'll see him hang for that!

Fahrenheit 1111, here we come.

 

[Jared]

Love the reference there to catchphrase!

However...ontopic, its sad tosee that they are doing this...backups are something which are like life, its there, and, they are sadly needed at time...

I hope this fails, I sincerly do

 

[zamble]

As Keava said, I believe this show this politicians' ignorance on teh subject. So if somebody decides to protect something, it means it's ilegal to copy it, but if the person doesn't, it's OK? Seems even kindo of ilogical to me, but I kust cant really point it out.
In the other hand, I can imagine how those politicians feel, having to make laws everyday about things they (mostly) don't know anything about. They should feel very lost...

 

[Epitome]

Lets stomp the pirates!!! *mumbles while inadvertantly crimnalising swathes of the general public at the same time.

I cant find a place to agree with this, I highly doubt your police force are going to pull a stop and search on your car because they see a burned cd in your front seat, but couldnt they? It could become one of those non crimes they love to punish people they take a disliking to. Or what about the many blind and deaf who require DRM broken to make the media they purchase accessable to them? Imfact this list goes on and on,

In truth since the US has promised to step up efforts on Canada, the opposition is going to have a steeper climb. From what I have read these bills have been attempted before and failed but as an outside observer whos own country was recently screwed over (Ireland), It seems to me that your own country is in trouble. How is the grassroots movement doing to oppose this? Is teh national media doing anything to highlight the criminalisation for this who is the primary lobbiest's for the bill? Have they been named so as to expose any potential corprate influence on political affairs. I mean is this bill directly written for the industry and its phalanx of lawyers and lobbiest's and then softened up for the people?

 

[Formica Archonis]

Nice to see this somewhere other than Pirate Party of Canada [http://www.michaelgeist.ca/]. First party whose platform actually makes sense to me and doesn't sound like "Waffle waffle equivocate mudsling waffle."

I've sent letters too, though it seems like the only thing it did was get me on Laurie Hawn's snail-mail spam list.

 

[tkioz]

You mentioned total lack of interest in enforcement, you know what that's common in a lot of places, I once spoke to an Australian Federal Police officer (no I wasn't getting arrested) who mentioned the same thing, he told me that most cops in the AFP absolutely hate big companies bitching about copyright, that they joined to fight real crime, not crap like mod-chipping and downloading a game or movie.

Sure they are fine going after pirates that sell stuff, but they get pissed off when the copyright "tossers" (his words) keep pushing them to go after the little people, while they've got actual work to do (such as breaking up child porn rings).

 

[ShadowKirby]

My MP, a Conservative, natch, refused to talk to me when I contacted her office about this. My only question was "why is it wrong to allow breaking DRM for non-infringing uses?" She'd probably call me a radical terrorist and hang up on me...

Or worse, she could call you a... copyright separatist!

 

[Low Key]

The more overbearing a government makes infringement laws, the more people there will be who break them.

It's like if tuesday was found to be the day when most car crashes occur, the government just up and tells people they cannot go outside on tuesdays. Ridiculous laws will be broken for the sake of practicality, by good-natured people no less. Especially if the worry is that piracy is becoming a growing trend, the easiest way to increase it is by punishing those who have done nothing wrong. Haven't we already learned this from insane DRM?

 

[Uber Waddles]

The problems people will face in the digital age from government is caused from a lack of knowledge from those who werent born in the digital era.

These lawmakers dont know or care what a modchip is, or iTunes. They think "Copyright hurts industries, MAKE ALL PIRATES CRIMINALS", when in fact, most are just making back-ups. Or burning a CD for their cars. You get the idea.

Its utter rubbish things like this pop up, and most of all from idiots.

 

[squid5580]

I dunno. When you can walk down the street and see R4 chips in legit store windows with big signs "R4 chips sold here" we have a problem. This bill the way it is written now is not the solution. Though it is good to see them stepping up to do something.

 

[Weaver]

I say we let this go through, then find some reason to arrest every member of parliament under this new DRM circumvention law.

Our only hope now is the NDPs knee jerk rejection of any bill the conservatives put forward. More and more I find myself wanting to punch Harper in the fucking face.

I think a good defense, should this come up in court; say you copied a DVD to AVI format. Just plead ignorance:

"I just searched DVD to AVI and found a program that did it for me for free. I had no way of knowing DVDs had digital locks, it isn't written on the box or the DVD and since it's digital locks it's not like I can see it. Plus with the laws on format changing I thought all I was doing was perfectly in the bounds of the new laws which ALLOW me to format change my media."