Re: [fsfc-discuss] Canadian Free Software community taking on Bill C-11

[Russell McOrmond]

  Today we enter the second week of witnesses at C-11 committee, with 
the end of March being the end of committee discussion.  I wanted to let 
people know what I've been up to, and to also ask if anyone has taken on 
the task that Mr. Stallman recommended for us.


  I attended each of the 4 committee meetings last week in person, and 
live-tweeted them.   I know Identi.ca is better (Canadian and FLOSS), 
but the politicians are reading and participating in Twitter hash tag 
#C11, so that is where I need to be.   I have then used my notes 
(tweets) to author a blog posting at http://c11.ca/com which summarises 
the thoughts I had during the meeting.

  I also posted a message with what I see as a theme emerging at the 
C-11 legislative committee http://c11.ca/5426 .  "While the governing 
Conservatives have the copyright policy right, they have the 
non-copyright policy wrong.  The official opposition NDP have the 
non-copyright policy right, but have the copyright policy wrong.   The 
lonely Liberal is just doing what he can to get a question or comment in 
from time to time."

  That wording is intended to encourage Conservative readers to 
separate the technological measures aspect of the bill from the rest of 
the bill, with greater possibility that they might then amend it.  If we 
come out against the entire bill I believe it will either make us seem 
like we didn't read it, or make it seem we are opposed to copyright in 
general: both of which will make it too easy to ignore us.



  I am hoping that being there in person, tweeting, and blogging the 
meetings allows for some influence on the discussion both with committee 
members and with the general public.   I want to ensure that the 
interests of technology owners are recognised, and also that more in the 
public will get upset at the technological measures aspect of the bill 
and write (call, meet with, etc) their own MPs.

  I have two meetings with MPs this week: one alone with an NDP MP not 
in the committee, and one with a group to talk to the Liberal MP in the 
committee about C-11.

  I also did an interview with Jesse Brown for Search Engine 
http://searchengine.tvo.org which will be out this week (Note: took 
advise from some people and spoke aggressively on the issue, but after 
thought that might have been a mistake.  You be the judge, and tell me).




  This gets us to a task I hope someone (or group) in these lists will 
take on.   Mr. Stallman has offered to use the FSF's large mailing list 
to get a message from us to all members.   At first a petition was 
suggested, but there is no time for a new petition.   We have an 
existing petition (TPMs one), and we have the possibility of a letter 
writing campaign which we can do quickly.   What Mr. Stallman needs is 
text from us to send to members.  We've authored and peer reviewed these 
types of things before, so it should be easy.   I'm just needing to 
leave it to someone else as I'm spending my time at committee (and the 
prep/post work related to blogging).

  Once the letter is authored we can send it out to all our 
contacts/lists/etc as well.

Takers?  Lets please not give up the offer by Mr. Stallman.


On 12-02-26 12:25 PM, Richard Stallman wrote:
>        I like the language.
>
> I hope you (plural) will proceed with this directly, not waiting for
> me.  I'll help if you want, but if you don't need me, you can make
> faster progress if you don't wait for me.
>
> If and when you'd like the FSF to announce something, please tell John
> Sullivan and me.
>
>
> --
> Dr Richard Stallman
> President, Free Software Foundation
> 51 Franklin St
> Boston MA 02110
> USA
> www.fsf.org  www.gnu.org
> Skype: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.
>    Use free telephony http://directory.fsf.org/category/tel/

--
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
 Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property
 rights as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition!
 http://l.c11.ca/ict

 "The government, lobbied by legacy copyright holders and hardware
  manufacturers, can pry my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or
  portable media player from my cold dead hands!" http://c11.ca/own