“The [copyright ] consultation appears to have been little more than theatre,” says Michael Geist. I wonder if we simply duped ourselves into thinking it would have been anything but. The Harper government simply made it appear as if Canadians voices were to be heard regarding alterations to copyright law. But, in typical Harper government fashion, those voices are simply ignored in favour of supine capitulation to US and other corporate interests. I wonder at what point people will stop believing in this farce we call democracy.
With mounting pressure from the U.S. – there have repeated meetings with senior U.S. officials in recent weeks – the PMO sided squarely with Moore’s vision of a U.S.-style copyright law. The detailed provisions will be negotiated over the coming weeks by the respective departments, but they now have their marching orders of completing a bill that will satisfy the U.S. that comes complete with tough anti-circumvention rules and no flexible fair dealing provision.