!@!Re: [Upd-discuss] a longer term strategy for promoting the public domain? (fwd)

[David Basskin]

> The users of copyrighted items are never counted among
> these "stakeholders".  Perhaps because they don't invite politicians
> to lunch.
>
>
> Lars Aronsson.
> -- 
>   Project Runeberg - free Nordic literature - http://runeberg.org/
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>

Perhaps that's the case in the Nordic countries, but I assure you it 
isn't in Canada. The copyright agenda is shared between the Department 
of Canadian Heritage and the Department of Industry. Only the 
government can introduce legislation, and it won't do so until both 
Ministers have signed off. While there's no formal division, Heritage 
is more oriented towards creators and copyright owners, and Industry 
towards users. I've been involved in the copyright law reform process 
for over 15 years and I've repeatedly witnessed the process stall due 
to the inability of the Departments, and their respective 
constituencies, to reach consensus. Perhaps that's why copyright reform 
has been such a painfully slow process. Our law was unchanged from 1924 
to 1988, when the "Phase I" reforms were passed. "Phase II" was 
supposed to occur "imminently", but it took nearly a decade. Since 
1997, copyright issues have been endlessly discussed, but there's been 
no legislation.

Government ignores the users? I should live so long. Their advocates 
are heard in Ottawa loud and clear.

David Basskin