Archive for September, 2007

CIRA Votes

Yesterday I attended an entertaining CIRA Annual General meeting which was also used as the kick-off for this year's board elections.  This year's slate includes past and present board members such as Clyde Beattie, Paul Anderson, Rick Anderson, and Ron Kawchuk, as well as some impressive new candidates that could […]

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September 7, 2007 1 comment News

Caught in the Throttle

The Ottawa Business Journal has a front page article on traffic shaping this week that highlights yet again why the lack of transparency around Canadian Internet service is a significant problem.  The story focuses on the Rogers' traffic shaping issues and includes references to three comments on the issue from […]

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September 7, 2007 Comments are Disabled Neutrality

Caught in the Throttle

The Ottawa Business Journal has a front page article on traffic shaping this week that highlights yet again why the lack of transparency around Canadian Internet service is a significant problem.  The story focuses on the Rogers' traffic shaping issues and includes references to three comments on the issue from […]

Read more ›

September 7, 2007 10 comments News

“We Don’t Have Any Choice”

Last week, the Vancouver Sun ran a lengthy article on the music industry.  It was a reasonable piece – comments from CRIA, CIRPA, and many artists presented some (though not all) perspectives.  That said, CRIA's Graham Henderson provided comments that merit a response.  According to Henderson:

We want laws that offer choice. Right now we don't have any choice and we want the ability to be able to try our business model in a digital environment and have at least the majority of people respect our wishes, recognizing all along that there are going to be people who take from us.

Leaving aside the fact that much of the copying that Henderson characterizes as "taking from us" is covered by the private copying levy that has now generated nearly $200 million since the CPCC began collecting the levy in 2000, CRIA is effectively saying that the only way the industry can offer digital music online is with DRM supported by anti-circumvention legislation.  Anyone with even the slightest familiarity with digital music in Canada recognizes that this is utter nonsense.

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September 5, 2007 5 comments News

Edmonton Journal on CD Sales

The Edmonton Journal has a good article on CD sales and downloading that includes some sensible comments about the overstated impact of P2P on declining sales.

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September 5, 2007 Comments are Disabled News