Save Fair-Use in Canada - Stop Bill C-60

We are constituents who care about Canada's cultural policy, and we are signing this petition in regard to legislative proposals for "copyright reform." During the last Parliament, Bill C-60 provided some very sensible approaches to this complicated topic, but it also left room for improvement. As you consider the issue of copyright reform, we hope that you will work to ensure that any new legislation is not a regression from the sensible policies set out in Bill C-60.

In particular, we do not believe that "digital rights management" (DRM) technologies should stop the public from making lawful uses of their legitimately acquired media. Publishers using DRM push aside the delicate balance between copyright and the rights of the public - a balance set according to an assessment of the public interest by legislators - and replace it with one-sided rules that reflect publishers' private interests. Even artists disagree with publishers' anti-consumer use of DRM, as evidenced by the recently formed Canadian Music Creators Coalition. Therefore, as in Bill C-60, new copyright reform legislation should not make it illegal to circumvent DRM for lawful purposes.

We are also concerned that the use of DRM can threaten computer security and consumer privacy, as in the recent Sony-BMG "Rootkit" fiasco. When content companies routinely use technological measures to control how people enjoy entertainment in the privacy of their own homes, we think we need protection *from* DRM more than we need protection *for* it.

These concerns are shared by a substantial and growing number of informed Canadian citizens. We hope that you will take them into account when considering any changes to Canadian copyright law.

Original text by: Online Right Canada (http://www.onlinerights.ca/get_active/copyright_reform_action/)