The media picked up on Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore's "radical extremists" comment yesterday with the following stories: IT Business: Moore Calls Copyright Critics "Radical Extremists" Hollywood Reporter: Canadian copyright reform debate turns nasty Exclaim!: Canadian Heritage Minister Calls Copyright Bill Critics “Radical Extremists”; NDP’s Charlie Angus Fires Back Globe […]
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Unlocked iPhones Could Herald True Mobility
Apple began selling the latest version of its iPhone this week in the United States and while the device will not be sold in Canada until mid-July, Canadians will be among the few that will have the opportunity to purchase it "unlocked" so that it is not tied to any specific wireless carrier. The unlocked versions will come at a premium price, but in return consumers will be able to avoid the long-term contracts that have typified the Canadian wireless marketplace for many years.
My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes the issue of locked cellphones has long been a source of consumer fear and frustration since some wondered whether unlocking phones that were rendered unusable when switching wireless providers was legal. In certain respects, this was an odd question to even have to ask. No one would ever question whether consumers have the right to tinker with their car or to use the same television if they switch providers from cable to satellite, yet the wireless industry somehow convinced the public that unlocking their phones – consumers' own property – was wrong.
That perception is rapidly changing with several developments paving the way for an unlocked iPhone.
Was There An Attempt to Bury Moore’s “Radical Extremist” Comment?
Yesterday there was a firestorm of discussion over Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore's speech (which was promoted by his department in advance) in which he labeled critics of Bill C-32 "radical extremists" and urged confrontation against those who argue for fair copyright, which he said is really an attempt to mislead and oppose the bill. In response there were hundreds of postings on Twitter (including a debate between Moore and Cory Doctorow) along with:
- an NDP release from MP Charlie Angus saying Moore was way out of line
- a must-read CBC article titled Copyright Debate Turns Ugly
- a terrific article by Doctorow providing an author's perspective on "radical extremism" and copyright
- an article by Blayne Haggart that provides some context on the smears
Almost lost amidst the considerable outrage from many people over Moore's comments, was the possibility that there was an attempt to bury the "radical extremist" comment. The initial video posted by event organizers (the Chamber of Commerce's IP Council) did not include a clip of the reference to radical extremists. Sun Media ran a story that included the quote but others seemed to act as if it never happened.
After I blogged about the comment, the Entertainment Software Association of Canada tweeted a reference to "@mpjamesmoore's actual remarks" as if the remarks did not include the reference. The next morning, Barry Sookman blogged on the speech and characterized my post on "radical extremists" as relying upon a second hand source. While that is true – I relied on Sun Media – both the ESA Canada and Sookman were in the room for the speech and surely heard the comment.
More noteworthy is that Moore himself denied making the comment in direct messages with several people on Twitter who expressed concern about it. For example, he sent this to one correspondent
NDP MP Charlie Angus Responds to Moore’s Attacks
The House of Commons is shut down due to today's earthquake, but I have received a copy of a release from the office of NDP MP Charlie Angus which responds to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore's attack on fair copyright. The NDP planned to issue the release today, but cannot due to the office closure. I was given permission to post the release in its entirety. [update: official release]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 23, 2010
NEW DEMOCRATS CALL MOORE OFFSIDE FOR ATTACKING FAIR COPYRIGHT ADVOCATES
Minister’s description of ‘radical extremists’ shows he’s in need of a time-out
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