If you don’t feel like reading the entire story, let me summarize. Family restaurant owner Ali Clark had a child in her restaurant point out the band name “Holy Fuck” and complained to Sled Island festival organizers. Sled Island is reprinting all their posters to censor the band name. The saddest part is that this story is at the top of CBC Calgary news and they are censoring the band name themselves.

This world needs to stop thinking their child will become corrupt from hearing or reading a swear word. I heard plenty in my elementary and pre-school years and I’m pretty sure I turned out just fine. Though, I really should get off this internets thing, it corrupts minds.

It was nice, well, seeing, Jim Prentice, I shook his hand for a few seconds and then he was off. I didn’t have a chance to ask some questions or comment on the Bill, but I’m sure quite a few people did and I’m awaiting what his response was and possibly for some video content.
I wanted to question Minister Prentice on how Bill C-61 will affect the Open Source industry and how the Bill will reduce or destroy any competition between media formats and creators.
The open source software that I am more specifically concerned about is Linux and its various applications such as Gimp or open source media formats such as .ogg. This bill could cease the production of open source software such as these in Canada because they most likely won’t contain DRM. Also, Linux is unable to play any music that has any type of lock on it because the open source developer don’t have the access to the keys to run DRM’d music. The only way to possibly play music on Linux is to break DRM.
Another concern of mine is how I will be able to play any of my music, will every media player other than iPod become obsolete? I own a PSP, which does great in playing media, but is unable to play any locked music.

Here’s what an information sheet given out at the protest said, it summarizes what the bill could do if passed quite well:

Hands Off My DVDs – C-61 prohibits transferring DVDs to a computer or video player, locks out region coded DVDs
Hands Off My iPod – C-61 prohibits transferring copy-controlled CD to iPod
Hands Off My PVR – C-61 prohibits recording broadcast flagged TV shows

Hands Off My Teachers – C-61 forces teachers to destroy their digital lessons after 30 days
Hands Off My Librarians – C-61 forces librarians to use DRM (digial locks) for digital delivery of articles
Hands Off My Flim – C-61 is opposed by documentary filmmakers who fear it will make it more difficult to creat films
Hands Off My Artwork – C-61 locks out artists from using some works and makes it more difficult to create

Hands Off My Kids – C-61 makes lawsuits against teenagers more likely
Hands Off My Privacy – C-61 makes it more difficult to protect your privacy against DRM’d products
Hands Off My Copyright Rights – C-61 renders fair dealing obsolete in the digital world
Hands Off My Research – C-61 could make our researchers infringers for circumventing for reasearch purposes
Hands Off My Students – C-61 locks out students from accessing their digitally locked electronic books

For more info and find out how to help, please visit www.FairCopyrightForCanada.ca and join the Fair Copyright For Canada Facebook groups (both the national and local chapters)

Music:
You may make 1 copy per device owned, only if acquired legally.

If you borrow a CD from a library and rip it to your computer you will be fined $500 PER COPYRIGHT HOLDER. If you share music over the internet, you will be fined $20,000.
Movies, Games, etc.
NOT AT ALL. If you copy a Book, Movie, Video Game, Photo or anything you didn’t legally pay for. You can make one copy for each device you own and for media that those devices use. However, you can alter the file format to work on other devices.

You can make copies of DVDs/Movies you purchased from the store or the internet, however you cannot hack any digital locks implemented, or you may face a fine of $20,000 or a fine of $500 PER COPYRIGHT HOLDER if you copied a DVD from a friend of the library.

Cellphones:
You cannot unlock your cellphones to get cheaper charges or for any reason at all. This would be illegal if this bill is passed.

Locked Media:
You cannot break or rootkit any media or electronic device that has a security lock or you can also be fined up to $20,000 per song/device. If you download a song from iTunes, you can only use it on your iPod, you can’t change it to work on any other device.

So, once I originally found out about this bill, I joined the Fair Copyright For Canada Facebook Group, with now over 85,000 members. This group is very active an organizes many protests across Canada and talks to MPs, by letter or otherwise.
In the coming days I plan to write a letter to my MP and attempt to speak with him on how I am disgusted about this Bill. It doesn’t help anyone but the big-bucks companies.

Join the Facebook group and come out to some of the events, if you’re not in Canada, join anyways!

View the article here:The Globe and Mail