Missed Debates
I'm still feeling kind of miserable (physically and existentially), so I decided to skip the all-candidates at UW this afternoon.
Denver Gingerich from the Waterloo Students for the Information Commons was there, and posted some notes from the debate on their wiki:
Specifically, on the copyright reform bill, C-61:
C-61 invoked a great deal of concern. Where would you stand on the issue of copyright reform? What steps would you take if a bill were tabled?
Jacobsen
- very important bill
- need to be collaborative with creation of bill
- artists need to be in on it; it's their creation
- concern: big business is using artists to make money for itself
- need to be encouragin innovation and allow artists to do their work
Huntingdon
- most offensive bill ever seen
- claims to be made in Canada, but isn't
- bill can force Internet provider to rat on your activity
- C-61 is very dangerous
Telegdi
- one of the problems: stakeholders, general public wasn't heard
- critical that we get the balance right
- need to have a climate where people can be heard
- need to keep in mind Conservative's cut to the arts; hurts artists
Braid
- strong believer and supporter of the arts
- Prentice oversaw it; very capable
- not concerned about amount of consultation that was had
- felt we needed to update and modernize copyright
- that said, bill is not carved in stone; I'd be interested in suggestions for change
MacLellan
- was at McOrmond's 2-hour copyright talk last night; learned a lot
- Green Party very interested in what's going on in copyright
- bill is very complex; even PhD encryption students don't know if they'd be breaking the law
- C-61 is built for another time, like the tax system that subsidizes polluters * need to completely re-create copyright law
Jacobsen (reply)
- Conservatives say it's about owners vs consumers
- need to get creators into the debate
- we're forgetting the soul of Canadians