Bill C-32
Bill C-32 (text) (Integrated Redline Version) (commentary) is a new copyright bill tabled by the Conservative party of Canada, currently acting as our government.
What do you want?
C-32 isn't all bad, but the Technical Protection Measures TPM provisions of C-32 are dangerous to Canadians and the entire programming profession. Breaking digital locks/TPM should not be illegal as it limits industries and the consumers too much. Pirates will break the locks anyways, there is no sense turning innocent people into criminals. If copyright infringement occurs, punish the infringers. Circumventing TPM does not necessarily infringe on copyright.
Will the MPs listen?
- MP James Moore calling concerned Canadians "radical extremists" (FLV 17mb)
- So no, Moore thinks that the bill is balanced, although it isn't and he isn't a software expert either. So he seems unaware how intrusive the TPM provisions really are.
What will C-32 make illegal?
- C-32 can make cheating in multiplayer video games illegal
- C-32 can make cheating in singleplayer video games illegal
- C-32 can make modifying a video games illegal
- C-32 can make creating a level for a video-game, which you didn't write, illegal.
- C-32 can make you a criminal if you don't run the latest software and it doesn't support some of the new TPM being used on your media
- C-32 can make you a criminal if you run the latest software which ignores TPM (but you didn't know)
- C-32 can make you a criminal if someone uses your computer to distribute software like linux distributions such as LINSPIRE (has DVD players in it)
- C-32 means you can't play most foreign DVDs
- C-32 means you cannot play DVDs in Linux or with opensource software
- C-32 means you cannot turn javascript off while reading webpages because you might be violating TPMs by not running them
- C-32 doesn't care too much if you intended to infringe or not, you can only get some damages reduced if it was unintentional (see this NO INTENT IS REQUIRED in order to be a criminal).
- C-32 will make image editting difficult - what if there was a watermark, if you accidentally remove it or stop machines from interpretting it are you liable? You don't know do you.
- C-32 allows people to make up arbitrary rules and you have to be vigilant to read and interpret these rules or ensure your software does otherwise you could be infringing on the copyright and TPM of others
- C-32 can used to enforce bundling, they can tell you that you need to have two programs installed just run one. Imagine needing Mario 1 just to play Mario 2, imagine purchasing MS Excel to be told you need to purchase MS Word.
- C-32 allows people to change rules and licenses out from under you on the fly.
- C-32 can allow companies to phone home about your usage of software and report home any detected violations.
- C-32 means that if a company TPM includes dangerous malware that you'll be violating the TPM to remove that dangerous software.
- C-32 means that jailbreaking your ipod or iphone is illegal (you can switch providers but not jailbreak).
- C-32 means that not using iTunes to administer your iphone or ipod is a violation of the ipod/iphone TPM.