Stop CDMCA

Strombo and Trotsky

The media reverberations from the copyright delay continue with some very significant mainstream media coverage.  CBC's The National covered the story on Tuesday (video on the Facebook group and YouTube but I haven't seen a more accessible version), I appeared on CBC's The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos last night, and this morning Terry Corcoran of the Financial Post labels me a "Telecom Trotskyite" in a column critical of the copyright delay.

For the most part, this is all very good.  The coverage has educated more people, brought more people to the Facebook group (now over 30,000 members), and resulted in hundreds more letters and phone calls to MPs and the Ministers.  Moreover, as the copyright issue gains widespread exposure, more of the public will better appreciate its importance and politicians will come to understand that a fair approach that meets the needs of both creators and users is essential. 

There is a downside, however.  As much as I'd like to talk about how much fun it was to be on the Hour or why Corcoran's position on copyright is completely inconsistent with his typical minimalist regulatory approach, this issue is not about me.  I've talked about the need for balanced copyright for many years, but we've never seen this much public engagement in copyright.  That is because the real story is that copyright matters to people and they now have the tools to make their voices heard.  I'm thrilled to have played a role in raising awareness, but the real credit goes to the thousands of people who took the time to write or call their elected representatives, to blog about the issue, to attend the Toronto or Calgary events, or to raise awareness with their friends, family and community.  This blog is going to become a bit quieter over the holiday period but I sincerely hope that the copyright conversation will continue.

Comments are closed.