News

The Blacklist Backlash

Further to my post last week, I have columns today in the BBC and The Mark that discuss why the placement of Canada on the Priority Watch List may backfire.  The BBC piece notes that several European countries – including Italy, Spain, Finland, and Israel – submitted briefs to the U.S. that were ignored.  Meanwhile, the Bangkok Post has an editorial that provides further evidence that the inclusion of Canada on the Priority Watch List is being viewed around the world as reason to doubt the Special 301 Report itself.  According to the editors, "there is increasing evidence it is a political tool, heavily influenced by wealthy US industries and used by Washington to impose protectionist trade policies."   Exhibit One for this claim?

It could be in the seemingly absurd decision to place Canada in the top rank of worst offenders with China, Russia and Thailand. Canada has stolidly refused to ape the US government in enacting a punishing law protecting the movie and music distributors. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a blatantly anti-consumer law which has little to do with IP protection, and everything to do with stifling digital copying of material owned by huge and profitable companies which help to finance US political campaigns.

Thus Washington seems to be using its annual IP report to hammer nations to enact and enforce US IP laws, or suffer the consequences. This appears to be nothing but ham-handed protection of big businesses at the expense of free trade. The US Trade Representative must accept that there are many ways to protect IP rights, and cease its threats against those who take different courses.

11 Comments

  1. The Man
    “The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a blatantly anti-consumer law which has little to do with IP protection, and everything to do with stifling digital copying of material owned by huge and profitable companies which help to finance US political campaigns.”

    Hear, hear…One little clear and concise sentence sums the DMCA so well. Canadian legislators take note, unless these huge, profitable companies are padding your wallets as well?!?

  2. Crumb Tack says:

    Funny adjective
    “…there is increasing evidence it is a political tool, heavily influenced by wealthy US industries…”

    I wonder if there is an implication here that if it was a political tool for *impoverished* US industries, it would be acceptable for them to do this?

    Reading rhetorical phraseology literally often leads to these strange suggestions.

  3. Re: Funny adjective
    Quote:

    “I wonder if there is an implication here that if it was a political tool for *impoverished* US industries, it would be acceptable for them to do this?

    “Reading rhetorical phraseology literally often leads to these strange suggestions.”

    I don’t think so.

    The adjective “wealthy” is used to describe said industries because it explains why the DMCA is “heavily influenced” by them. More wealth means more influence. Seems clear enough to me.

    Tasaio

  4. Crumb Tack says:

    Re: Funny adjective
    Is this why the auto industry has no influence in government right now? Interesting.

  5. Questioning lobby groups
    Maybe now, the validity of these industry lobbyists will start to be questioned world wide along with their data. It’s not a secret that the US is run by industry not by it’s own people or elected representatives. Seeing this report from the Obama administration is curious since it was Obama that wanted to kick out the lobby groups from Washington during the Campaign.

    Well it certainly doesn’t help when you throw a list like this insulting many nations that have the majority of trade with the US. If he doesn’t separate himself from the lobby groups in control of Washington, it’s going to cost him and the US some major political headaches I think.

  6. Doesn’t it seem just a tad odd to you…
    … That the RIAA and MPAA have as much or MORE influence on US policy than the contractors of the US war machine?

    I do believe the only industry with more influence is the oil industry.

    American’s are nowhere near as addicted to their DVD’s and CD’s as they are their cars.

    Begs to wonder, where the industries power is coming from?

  7. Eo Nomine says:

    Re: Funny adjective
    “Reading rhetorical phraseology literally often leads to these strange suggestions.”

    Agreed. For instance:

    “The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a blatantly anti-consumer law which has little to do with IP protection, and everything to do with stifling digital copying of material…”

    Er…isn’t copyright protection all about preventing copying? Oh wait…

    “…owned by huge and profitable companies which help to finance US political campaigns.”

    I see. It’s the fact that the material being copied is owned by huge and profitable companies that makes the copying okay…

  8. Vice Pres. Joe Biden is a paid RIAA/MPAA apologist.
    The industry has been supporting up Biden for years. Now they want a few favours returned. I knew this would happen when he chose Biden for VP.

  9. Nathan S. says:

    don’t want to setp on anyones toes…but…
    I’ve heard a rumor that most of these corporate owners are “free masonists” and that this group in particular enjoys massive wealth to begin with…perhaps some form of “religious/lifestyle” group backing should be taken into consideration as well to these draconian practices.

  10. Re: Funny adjective
    @Eo Nomine.
    Copying can be legal: e.g. Google for “fair use” and “copyright exemption”.
    The DMCA helps companies to block legal and illegal copying alike. That’s a problem.

  11. Keith Douglas says:

    A hypothesis about influence
    MPAA/RIAA have power because they are controlled by the same large corporations which are involved in other sectors. Think of NBC and GE, for example