While there are critics of C-32, everyone should be willing to give props to Industry Minister Tony Clement for his tweeting on the bill. Soon after the usual press conference, Clement began responding directly to public tweets asking questions about the bill. He thanked the public for positive and negative feedback and answered questions on unlocking cellphones, format shifting CDs, copying DVDs, and statutory damages. This form of direct engagement with the public on government policy is something worth noting as it sets a benchmark for others to follow.
Clement’s Tweeting on C-32: A New Kind of Public Engagement
8 Comments
Recent Posts
Canadian Government Caves on Digital Services Tax After Years of Dismissing the Risks of Trade Retaliation 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 238: David Fraser on Why Bill C-2’s Lawful Access Powers May Put Canadians’ Digital Security At Risk 
Ignoring the Warning Signs: Why Did the Canadian Government Dismiss the Trade Risks of a Digital Services Tax? 
Why Bill C-2 Faces a Likely Constitutional Challenge By Placing Solicitor-Client Privilege at Risk 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 237: A Conversation with Jason Woywada of BCFIPA on Political Party Privacy and Bill C-4
Clement
HE actually impresses me as someone who actually cares, isn’t in it to feather his own nest or cater to foreign entities over the cries of the constituency. When’s he running for PM?
Agreed
Definitely a new standard for politicians anywhere, of any stripe, to follow. His retweeting of both positive and negative comments, tinged with a bit of his own brand of humour, shows he is engaging personally with Canadians on this issue. Kudos to Clement, indeed!
Hmm
I have such mixed feelings about him. I want to oust him from office and go for a beer with him, all at the same time.
His response to the DVD-rip question leaves me wondering if he has a clue, though. All commercial DVDs have TPM (encryption), so his answer is either misleading or clueless.
Hrm, or is it just HD DVDs after all? Maybe I’m the one who’s clueless.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AACS_encryption_key_controversy
No Josh, you are right. On almost every commercial DVD is the CSS which is a digital lock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_Scramble_System
Weasel Words
Clement’s Tweets seem to dodge the issues and make it look like all is well but its not. A number of his tweets seem to be intentionally misleading. If you break any digital protection you’re breaking the law under this bill even if you own the device or media. Clement can spin it all he wants but this bill is going to be a headache for many Canadians. This bill doesn’t even benefit the music and movie companies in the long term they’re just too short-sighted to see it.
He wouldn’t answer my simple question:
What is the use in having user rights that copyright holders have veto power over?
I couldn’t find the answer on the FAQ on the website either for some reason.