A Copyright Quickie: Canada Is About To Pass Sopa’s Evil Little Brother. Politely.

“I’m a Canadian.

We’re a quiet bunch; prone to enjoying hockey, drinking stronger beer than our friends south of the border, and lovers of fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy.

We also, apparently, have an inferiority complex when it comes to being evil dirt bags, because we’ve decided to pass our very own version of SOPA up here.

Only better*

Meet Bill-C11. Formerly Bill C-32. (I think they thought if they made the number lower people would care less about it?)

Or as we call it up here; Her Royal Majesty V, Zzzzzzz

We like our politics dry up here.

But, as innocuous as it sounds, C-11 does a whole lot that SOPA did with a few extra twists you might not find in the Wikipedia write-up.

Like your PVR? You can’t keep it under C-11.

Like ripping CDs to your iPod? Say bye-bye.

Hey, do you want to be able to unlock your $500 smartphone and take it to a provider less dedicated to violating your wallet? That won’t be allowed either.

Did you get accused of internet piracy but no evidence has been presented and a trial date hasn’t even been set? Under C-11 your ISP will now be forced to terminate your internet access.

And people say that governments can’t be bought.

We’re not going to get Google or Wikipedia to go dark up here. We don’t have as robust a tech industry to act as a public counterbalance to entertainment industry interests. We have a Prime Minister (that’s French for Dear Leader under the current regime) who doesn’t give a suckling goat what the people think about his policies.

But we do have a lot more recourse in our political system to make politicians pay than our Yankee brethren do. (Yes I know I just insulted everyone south of the Mason Dixon line. I’m sorry. You trying caring about foreign geographical terminology when every person you’ve ever met from a particular country still thinks it’s the height of hilarity to ask if you live in an igloo.) We have things like votes of no confidence that can really bugger up a sitting House member’s day.

So, if you’re Canadian, or you’re friends with a Canadian, or you just really like bacon, click the link at the bottom of this article and share it with as many people as you can.

We can’t afford to lose on this one, Canada.”

I—what the fuck is this, Harper, what is this.

SEE, THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS.

Can someone please just shove a cactus up the backdoor of everyone in the government who keeps trying to interfere with us ENJOYING THE THINGS WE HAVE?

MORE INFORMATION: http://notavailablein.ca/2012/01/the-dmca-and-sopa-all-rolled-up-into-one-bill-c-11/

EVEN MORE INFORMATION: http://www.ccer.ca/canadian-copyright-reform/canadian-copyright-reform-back-with-vengeance/

PETITION: http://www.petitiononlinecanada.com/petition/canadians-against-bill-c11-the-copyright-modernization-act/362/42ed141d70c610e83374be2d07e15ea6

PLEASE SIGN. THIS BILL IS HALF BAKED AND THE ABSOLUTE VAGUENESS IS INSANE. THEY’RE PRETTY MUCH SAYING YOU CAN’T EXTRACT FROM ONE MEDIUM TO ANOTHER, EVEN IF IT’S LEGALLY YOURS AND FOR FAIR USE. IF I BUY A NICKELBACK CD AND I WANT TO RIP IT SO I CAN LISTEN TO CHAD KROEGER’S RASPY VOICE ON MY MP3 PLAYER DURING MY MUNDANE COMMUTE TO CLASS, FUCK YOU, HARPER, THAT’S MY RIGHT. KEEP YOUR GODDAMNED “DIGITAL LOCKS” OFF MY SHIT.

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