Both the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act have grave consequences for Canada. But these twin pieces of bad copyright legislation are not the only threat to online freedoms.
Below a quick list of Canada’s ongoing attempts to end net neutrality.
Bill C-11This was introduced at the end of September and is an update to the bills the Conservatives trotted around the country in a “public consult”. It’s improving over time, but it still favours content creators – usually movie studios and record labels – over those of us who buy the content. It all comes down to digital locks that prevent consumers from using products they buy in ways they want. Like, for instance, playing a legally-purchased DVD on iTunes.
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement This, known as ACTA, is an agreement by an international coalition of countries to combat counterfeiting of all kinds, including online. As of October, 2011, Canada is a signatory. ACTA includes “criminal intellectual property provisions”, which allows for enforcement of anti-counterfeiting measures. While these are vague, documents on Wikileaks and elsewhere raise fears of a governing body reaching into your computer, or blocking sites that may link to software that enables piracy in some way. Each would be a blight on the free internet.
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement CETA is a proposed free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union that would add teeth to the above ACTA. Again enforcing a culture of surveillance, censoring the web and creating a digital copyright justice system without civilian oversight.
Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Canada is not officially a part of this deal, made between the U.S. and its allies in South East Asia. But it is trying its damnedest to get in. Within this proposed deal, there would be innovation-stifling copyrights on abstracts like business practices, and heavy damages for infringement. The enforcement of patents is rumoured to include the disclosure of information from ISPs.
Interested in speaking out? For ACTA, CETA, and TPP, contact Ed Fast, Minister for International Trade. For Bill C-11, contact Christian Paradis, the sponsor of that bill.
joshuae@nowtoronto.com | twitter.com/joshuaerrett
