Participate in the Government Consultation
The single most important thing you can do right now is to submit a comment in the government’s copyright consultation. We have written Copyright Consultation Made Easy, a simply guide to writing an effective submission to the consultation. We also have a version specifically for technologists.
Michael Geist has more in-depth analysis on his Speak Out on Copyright site.
You can also visit the official
consultation web site or send your submission to info@copyrightconsultation.gc.ca.
Brochure
We have a brochure you can hand out at events. It can be downloaded here.
Contact your MP
Contact your member of Parliament to express your concern about copyright reform. Be polite and be clear. Individual members of Parliament are not experts in this field. They need to be educated. If copyright is your concern, you are most likely to be listened to if you focus on and avoid partisanship.
The best way to talk to your MP is face-to-face. During the summer, MPs leave Ottawa and return to their local ridings where they are available to meet with constituents. Phone up and schedule a meeting.
You can find your MP’s contact information here. Politicians take the most notice of paper letters (no stamp is needed if you send it c/o House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6), followed by faxes and phone calls. Email is less effective, but is valuable nonetheless.
Contact the media
When Bill C-61 was introduced, the protests of Canadians pushed this issue to the front pages. Yet many journalists do not really understand what’s at stake. Their reporting can inform other Canadians how this legislation could affect them. Others have found that when journalists do understand they are often sympathetic. Make your concerns clear, and help our media do its job.
Contact other politicians
Let the Prime Minister know of your concerns, along with the relevant ministers (Industry and Heritage). Michael Geist has set up a page with links to the contact information for the relevant politicians, along with other steps you can take. Again, paper mail is the best way. David Baines, who used to work on Parliament Hill, recommends the following:
Send a personalized hard copy to your local MP asking that he/she forward your comments to the appropriate Minister with a cover letter. That has the greatest impact since it is elevated to a higher level in the Ministerial Correspondence Unit.
Trust me on this one. I know how this works. I used to do this for a living
Talk to others
Copyright is no longer a concern only of publishers – it affects all of our lives. Many Canadians don’t understand the implications of copyright reform for them. They need to learn so that their interests and concerns can be addressed. The purpose of this faircopy.ca site is to provide a clear introduction. You may find it is helpful when explaining the issue to others.
More information
A number of Canadians have set up web pages and blogs with thoughtful analysis and information about copyright law in Canada. Among them:
- Dr. Michael Geist is the Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. He writes columns in the media and keeps a blog. His site provides a number of background resources for more information.
- Digital Copyright Canada is a blog that keeps on top of events relating to copyright in Canada. It also provides links to many other bloggers and sites.
- Fair Copyright for Canada contains blog posts by members.