It is dismaying to see the approach taken by some of the most outspoken copyright reform opponents when they comment on this issue. So often, they paint anyone — or any industry — that supports copyright reform as selfish or anti-consumer. They frequently frame the debate as one of "industry vs. the people". Nothing could be further from the truth. After all, artists and the employees of entertainment companies are Canadians like any other. The industries in question — and their employees — depend on "the people", i.e. consumers, for their living. They work each and every day to create songs, TV shows, movies, software and more that will have broad popular appeal, and to market and sell them in ways that will attract consumer interest. Of course, they object to having their creations stolen on the Internet by the minority of consumers who do so, and seek a legal framework in Canada that will help stop unauthorized file sharing.

Reform opponents too often play upon anti-American rhetoric, claiming that this debate is a battle of wills against American interests. Almost every day the blogosphere is alight with ominous references to the "US DMCA". But here they again ignore the facts. WIPO-compliant copyright reforms have been enacted not just in the US, but across Europe and among all of Canada's developed-country trading partners. And it is not just "American" interests that support copyright reform. How about the numerous Canadian independent record labels, movie and TV producers and distribution companies? How about the tens of thousands of Canadian artists represented by ACTRA and AFM, both of which support robust digital copyright amendments? How about the young Canadian artists who can't get a start because their work is "shared" by thousands of people on the Internet, without compensation?

The other troubling part of this debate are the myths propagated and repeated by zealous reform opponents — even after the real facts must be known to them. We are sometimes told that copyright reform will "lock down" culture and personal property, that educators will be prevented from educating, that Canadians will face massive invasions of their privacy, and worse! Where is the evidence for these "concerns"? No such issues have arisen in any of the many countries that have enacted WIPO-compliant copyright reforms. Even if there was an ounce of truth to them — which there is not — it's fair to presume that statutes such as the Privacy Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms would safeguard the rights and values that Canadians cherish.

The issues surrounding copyright reform come down to this: the right of creators and those who own creations to have their own property protected under law, whether they are physical creations or ones that can readily be digitized, copied and distributed on the Internet. If a creator chooses to give away their property, they should be allowed to do so without constraint. However, if they wish to sell their creations, Canadian copyright law should provide them with the framework to do so on terms of their own choosing. This will in no way affect the position of consumers in a legitimate marketplace: ultimately, they will have the right to decide how to spend their own money. In an open, legitimate marketplace, they will choose the products and services they want, through the channels they prefer.

More...

I'm sure if I buried my head in a pile of shit for 15 years, I'd have little enough oxygen flowing into my brain to believe this too.

Get your facts straight before blowing any more hot air Mr. Hogarth.

:booty:

Meanwhile, Micahel Geist is pointing to a submissions by real artsts:

We strongly urge policy makers to create copyright laws that are fair, balanced, and reflective of Canada's interests. We submit that the following three principles should guide Canadian policy-makers in efforts to reform copyright laws:

1. suing music fans is destructive to the Canadian music industry;
2. digital locks are risky and counterproductive; and
3. cultural policy should support actual Canadian artists.

We believe anti-circumvention measures encourage and support the use of digital locks and litigation against music fans. Thus, we oppose the inclusion of such measures in legislative reform. Copyright laws must accommodate the interests of Canadian music creators. We support our fans' legitimate interests in having a say in how they enjoy our music, and policy decisions should take this into account. Policies that fail to accommodate such interests should be rejected.

Bill C-61, the most recent attempt to revise the Copyright Act, was touted as addressing the problems associated with unauthorized file sharing. In fact, as we know from the American experience, this bill would have done nothing to address those problems. We urge the government to begin serious investigation into alternative policy approaches that permit artists and their fans who wish to engage in file sharing to do so in a way that is both legal and compensates rights holders.

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It's amazing the contrast between lobbyists and artists voices in the debate.