The Harper conservative government’s actions could criminalize everyday behaviour. The following is about possible changes to Canadian copyright under the Harper government:
‘Copyright Cock-up.’ Ivor Tossell (Globe and Mail, 20 June 2008).
Want to rip a DVD so you can show your film-class students a series of clips? Nope. Want to post a Battlestar Galactica tribute video to YouTube? Time to hire a lawyer…
If we bump along peaceably in this society of ours, it’s because there’s an alignment between our laws and our everyday understanding of what’s right and fair. In this case, the government is trying to reshape that understanding where it comes to digital media, and the bill seems doomed to failure. Rather than bringing Canadians around, it will – in the words of University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist – “undermine respect for copyright law itself.””
