Canadian DMCA...again.

Canada has joined Russia and China as the biggest violators of U.S. copyright law, according to the U.S.-based International Intellectual Property Alliance. ... Countries on this list are subject to accelerated investigations and possible trade sanctions.

Let's just clarify here - Canada is a violator of U.S. copyright law. This is one of the most garbage insular reports I've ever seen. Maybe it's true, but it's like saying Republican presidential candidates are one of the biggest violators of scientific law after a third of them denied the existence of evolution. The fact is, our realities just don't apply to each other. Perhaps if I commission my trusty unicorn to catalogue a list of all the Canadian laws that the U.S. currently violates I can finally convince US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to star in my screenplay. Who am I kidding? Unicorns are illiterate boobs.

WHAT IS REAL?
After Industry Minister Jim Prentice failed to introduce the Canadian DMCA last session due to Michael Geist's Facebook effort, the U.S.-based International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) decided to try to sully poor Canada's name with its Special 301 report . According to the report it is estimated that Canada contributed to a $511 million loss in US trade for the 1,900 companies represented by the IIPA. An alliance of 7 major trade associations represents these companies and forms the basis for what the IIPA calls the "copyright interests" lobby. The associations include the Recording Industry Association of America, National Music Publisher's Association, Motion Picture Association of America, Independent Film and Television Alliance, Entertainment Software Association, Business Software Alliance and the Association of American Publishers.

YOU HAD ME AT RIAA
So the fact of the matter is that a bunch of American companies who currently dictate American copyright law, are hoping to bully Canada into following suit and it appears not even the Canadian business contingent has been consulted. Business Coalition for Balanced Copyright - an alliance which includes the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Canadian Association of Internet Providers, Canadian Wireless and Telecommunications Association, Yahoo! Canada and Rogers Communications Inc. has recently released a statement opposing the Canadian DMCA.

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Canadian DMCA...again.

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