Copyright Lobby Astroturf Site Adds Mandatory, Uneditable Letter to MPs

The copyright lobby's BalancedCopyrightforCanada.ca astroturfing site has added a new mandatory requirement for all users that want to participate in the Take Action items. According to a site user, the site now requires users to send a form letter to their relevant Member of Parliament.  There are two letter options - one letter for entertainment industry employees and one general letter. 

Surprisingly for a site claiming to support creativity and copyright, the letters do not provide users with the opportunity to even use their own words - the form letter cannot be edited.  This is particularly striking given the earlier criticism from some of the same groups on a CCER form letter service that offered users complete control over the substance of their letter and merely served as a delivery channel. Notably, the site has already been subject to gaming from non-Canadians as a random search of members turned up at least one U.S. based record company executive with Warner Music.

The site user reports that the site briefly offered a third form letter for consumers.  That letter has apparently been removed, perhaps because it adopted positions expressly opposed by Canadian creator groups.  While the site purports to protect creator rights, the letter supported format shifting without levies (opposed by groups such as ACTRA) and educational reforms to fair dealing (opposed by writers groups).  The consumer letter included the following:

I believe the Copyright Act amendments proposed in Bill C-32 do a good job of balancing the right of artists and creators to benefit financially from their work, and the ability of consumers like me to make copies for non-commercial use and personal enjoyment. If Bill C-32 passes, it will give me the peace of mind of knowing that when I take music I've purchased and downloaded online, and copy it to my player, it's legal. There will be no doubt in my mind that the PVR copy of a movie or the episode of my favourite TV show that I've made for later viewing doesn't infringe copyright. And, I will know that my favourite singers, musicians, and film makers have been financially and fairly compensated for their work and creativity.

Also, I think Bill C-32 does the right thing in allowing schools, colleges, and universities to make copies for educational purposes. This is as it should be. Teachers and professors should feel free to make legal use of audio and video to broaden their students' cultural and intellectual horizons. Bill C-32 will enhance learning.

As it is now, the situation in Canada is embarrassing. The failure to modernize Canada's Copyright Act has made our country a destination of choice for virtual pirates of digital music, worldwide. Canada's reputation for upholding copyright and intellectual property rights is being reduced to the lowest common denominator of copyright rogue countries. Canada's brand is being compromised with our largest and most valuable trading partners, and their investors. Is that in Canadian consumers' interests? Is it in the interests of Canada's music industry? Is it in the interests of the Canadian Government and the Parliament of Canada? Is it good for Canada?

Bill C-32 is about fairness and balance: fairness to artists and other creators of content, balanced by fairness to consumers who get pleasure and relaxation from their work, and to teachers and students.

Samples from the employee and general letters are posted below:

Employee Letter

I support a balanced, modern and effective Copyright Act in Canada. The recent introduction of Bill C-32 is a starting point to achieve this long-overdue goal.

As the employee of a business that depends on sales of creative content, I urge your support in Parliament to enact the copyright reforms our country needs. My job, and many thousands of other jobs, depend on it.

Canada produces some of the best movies, music, TV shows, software and books in the world. Like many Canadians, I am proud of that. But the creative industries we have built are increasingly at risk in the face of widespread digital piracy.

I believe that artists, other content creators and the people who invest in them have the right to be compensated for their creations. People like me, who work in the creative industries and pay taxes, earn our pay as well. We all deserve a law that protects creative works from theft and unauthorized use on the Internet. Our customers deserve a law that respects and promotes the legal purchase and enjoyment of copyrighted works.

With the tabling of Bill C-32, Parliament has a real opportunity to bring our copyright rules into the digital age. With the right amendments, we can get there.

In the absence of clear rules, Canadian consumers lack a clear signal that downloading digital products from the Internet without payment is not allowed. The operators of Canadian-based websites that encourage and profit from much of the world's online piracy seem to act as if there were no law at all. As a result, Canada has become a global destination of choice for the operators of pirate websites.

It's embarrassing. Canada has been singled out on the international stage for its failure to uphold intellectual property rights, joining the ranks of copyright rogue countries. Our brand has been compromised with our largest and most valuable trading partners, and their investors.

Copyright reform is about fairness and balance: fairness to artists and other content creators balanced by fairness to consumers who enjoy and use their work.

General Letter

I support a balanced, modern and effective Copyright Act in Canada. The recent introduction of Bill C-32 is a starting point to achieve this long-overdue goal.

As a voter who lives in your riding, I urge your support in Parliament to enact the copyright reforms our country needs.

I believe that artists, other content creators and the people who invest in them have the right to be compensated for their creations. They deserve a law that protects their work from theft and unauthorized use on the Internet. The law should also respect and promote the legal purchase and enjoyment of copyrighted works by consumers.

With the tabling of Bill C-32, Parliament has a real opportunity to bring our copyright rules into the digital age. With the right amendments, we can get there.

In the absence of clear rules, Canadian consumers lack a clear signal that downloading digital products from the Internet without payment is not allowed. The operators of Canadian-based websites that encourage and profit from much of the world's online piracy seem to act as if there were no law at all. As a result, Canada has become a global destination of choice for the operators of pirate websites.

It's embarrassing. Canada has been singled out on the international stage for its failure to uphold intellectual property rights, joining the ranks of copyright rogue countries. Our brand has been compromised with our largest and most valuable trading partners, and their investors.

Copyright reform is about fairness and balance: fairness to artists and other content creators balanced by fairness to consumers who enjoy and use their work.

As a voter in your riding, I urge you to build on the start provided by Bill C-32's introduction, and to advance the passage of Copyright Act amendments that work for all Canadians.