As a producer of content I allow use of my materials by others. As a self-published commentator upon art and culture and occasional critic, I use passages of text from different sources to illustrate my arguements and kudos. If a set of too-restrictive copyright laws are enacted, legitimate free speech could be endangered. When copyright lobbyists lament about the unpaid artists, they are really asking for protection for multinational media corporations that are fighting for a dying distribution paradigm; companies who have already fleeced their artists and wish to pick the bones, in perpetuity.
In short; I hope you would consider challenging the potential loss of "fair use" protections that the government seems to be considering.
Here is the URL for the CBC article:
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/01/11/copyright-canada.html
I will republish this email as an open letter on my site (bingorage.blogspot.com), other mp's and perhaps to other "opinions pages".
Thanks.
:Eric
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A similar letter was sent to the Prime Minister's Office. Here are the responses:
Dear Mr. Keast:
On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to thank you for your e-mail, in which you raised an issue which falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry. The Prime Minister always appreciates receiving correspondence on subjects of importance to Canadians.
Please be assured that the statements you made have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Bernier, so that he too may be made aware of your comments. I am certain that the Minister will give your views every consideration. For more information on the Government's initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister's Web site, at www.pm.gc.ca.
L.A. Lavell
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister's Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre
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Dear Eric:
Thank you for your email.
I have received numerous emails on this topic as a result of the CBC report you mentioned and I share your concerns.
Please know that I will be watching closely to see what changes the Conservatives propose to the Copyright Act.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Boshcoff M.P.
Thunder Bay-Rainy River
Room 349, Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
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A cool flash animation of the spread of the "major' world religions.
Gives a great visual representation of the tenuous nature of religions' areas of influence. As a former archaeological worker and student, I was struck by the similarity to plots of pottery styles spreading out over a geographical area, over hundreds or thousands of years, then ebbing and shrinking as the styles (upon which archaeologists base and name long forgotten "cultures") eventually disappear. The people don't disappear of course, but their tastes in pottery -and religion- wax and wane, over time.
If you cannot see the animation, here is the site.
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Random links:
The 'Prime Directive' is stupid.
The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture
Myrtle's Caribou Hair Sculptures (tufting)
Maybe there's hope... Scientists, Evangelicals Battling Global Warming. If we choose to stop the destruction of the earth; that would be a good thing.
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1 comment:
He obviously doesn't get the prime directive. Not only is matter anti-matter combustion a bad idea to give a primitive society as was shown in "Friendship One", it's also a bad idea to get involved with people that don't concern us, like the Klingon Civil war.
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