It has only been a few days, but the local Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook groups have taken off, attracting great press coverage (IT World, Vancouver Sun) and over a thousand members collectively. The Edmonton chapter is already planning a local event as members gather to meet with area MP Laurie Hawn and a volunteer has stepped forward to lead a New Brunswick chapter. If you are interested in creating a local chapter in your community or at your school, let me know.
Local Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook Groups Take Off
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Ars Technica is running a small article on how the major publusher, EMI, is considering pulling their funding of the RIAA. EMI has begun selling DRM free music on Amazon (USA only it seems), and the other labels (even “screw the rest of the world, we’re Sony”, Sony) have followed suit. It really does seem that all the hoopla over this issue is going to end really soon and we can only hope that our politicians do the right thing and sit on creating a Canadian DMCA to realise that we don’t need one. Our laws are pretty darn good as they stand, for actual infringment issues. This is what we should all be stressing to our MPs and MPPs – “wait and see, please”.
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The Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC) has a letter in the January 11, 2008 Vancouver Province – \”Copying levy necessary\” by David Basskin, CPCC – stating: CPCC \”has extensively researched Canadians\’ copying behaviour. Only three per cent of music copied by consumers was purchased via the Internet. More than 90 per cent of copying onto digital audio recorders, such as iPods, is of pre-recorded music.
The levy exists to compensate creators and rights owners for the value of copies that Canadians make for their private use.\”
And on their site the CPCC says: \”CPCC is an umbrella organization that represents songwriters, recording artists, music publishers and record companies.\” and yet they fail to list who these are ???
One way or another were going to pay. Either a levy (simple but maybe not 100% fair) or by having to pay more for the original music
To be fair, I think CPCC genuinely is representative of these groups. And don\’t they have to file all this with the Copyright Board?
Why Facebook
Ok, I understand why in the beginning of this fight Facebook was important to get the word out.
BUT. Requiring everyone to register to participate in a public discussion seems rather counter-productive. Not to mention the PRIVACY problems that Facebook continues to have little interest past PR to fix.
Facebook does NOT allow open access to their website, therefore I do not see how the Fair Copyright for Canada movement can continue to use Facebook as it’s central point of information. With RSS, etc. there is really no need past the initial launch to continue to use Facebook.
Fair Copyright for Canada needs to develop an open and FREELY accessible website NOT tied to any one social networking website. And NO Facebook is NOT FREELY accessible if you have to register to read content. Facebook make money with the eyeballs they deliver ads to using FREE user generated content.
Just a thought.
And lets not forget that under the US Patriot Act the FBI can get EVERYTHING posted on Facebook, including all personal information