VOTE WITH YOUR HEAD (AND YOUR HEART)

According to Vote for the Environment, smart or strategic voting will give a very different outcome in the federal election.

Strategic voting could result in the Conservatives getting as few as 75 seats, the Liberals 123, the NDP 52, the Greens 1, the Bloc 55 and 2 Independents.

We are not advocating that you vote for a particular party only that you vote against Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.

VOTE FOR PLEDGED CANDIDATES

Michael Geist has asked candidates to sign the follwing copyright pledge

Will you commit to a balanced approach to copyright reform that reflects the views of all Canadians by pledging:

1. To respect the rights of creators and consumers.
2. Not to support any copyright bill that undermines or weakens the Copyright Act’s users rights.
3. To fully consult with Canadians before introducing any copyright reform bill and to conduct inclusive, national hearings on any tabled bill.

Here is a list of all pledged candidates. No Conservatives will sign the pledge

The Green Party
The Green Party have signed the pledge

Liberals

Ken Boshcoff, Liberal MP, Thunder Bay-Rainy River, ON
Heather Carter, Liberal candidate, Niagara West – Glanbrook, ON
Sharon L. Howe, Liberal candidate, Crowfoot, AB
Calvin Johnston, Liberal candidate, Palliser, SK
Tim Jones, Liberal candidate, Newmarket-Aurora, ON
Arlene MacFarlane-VanderBeek, Liberal candidate, Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, ON
Marcelle Marion, Liberal candidate, Winnipeg North, MB
Jamie McGarvey, Liberal candidate, Parry Sound-Muskoka, ON
Greg McClinchey, Liberal candidate, Huron-Bruce, ON
Joyce Murray, Liberal MP, Vancouver Quadra, BC
Dana L. Miller, Liberal candidate, Delta-Richmond East, BC
Glen Pearson, Liberal MP, London North Centre, ON
Richard Pesik, Liberal candidate, Nanaimo-Alberni, BC
Denis Sabourin, Liberal candidate, Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, ON
Carolyn Scott, Liberal candidate, Sackville Eastern Shore
Paul Szabo. Liberal MP, Mississauga South, ON
Suzanne van Bommel, Liberal candidate, Elgin-Middlesex-London, ON
Gord Zeilstra, Liberal candidate, Cambridge, ON
Patricia Zipchen, Liberal candidate, Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, SK

NDP

George Addison, New Democrat candidate, St. Catharines, ON
Malcolm Allen, New Democrat candidate, Welland
Mohamed Alli, New Democrat candidate , Portage–Lisgar, MB
Charlie Angus, New Democrat MP, Timmins-James Bay, ON
Paul Arbour, New Democrat candidate, Carleton- Mississippi Mills, ON
Mike Avery, New Democrat candidate, Cardigan, PEI
Catherine Bell, New Democrat candidate,Vancouver Island North, BC
Gabriel Biron, New Democrat candidate, Lévis–Bellechasse, QC
Dawn Black, New Democract MP, New Westminster–Coquitlam, BC
Phil Brown, New Democrat Candidate, Nepean-Carleton, ON
Jo-Anne Boulding, New Democrat candidate, Parry Sound Muskoka, ON
Dave Burkhart, New Democrat candidate, Edmonton-St. Albert, AB
Daniel Breton, New Democrat candidate, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Andy Bruziewicz, New Democrat candidate, Sarnia-Lambton, ON
Jennifer Burgis. New Democrat candidate, Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, BC
Michael Byers, New Democrat Candidate, Vancouver Centre, BC
David Caplan, New Democrat candidate, Vancouver Quadra, BC
Ann Chambers, New Democrat candidate, Vancouver South, BC
John Chan, New Democrat Candidate, Calgary Centre-North, AB
Michael Charrois, New Democrat candidate, North Vancouver, BC
Justin Chatwin, New Democrat candidate, Eglinton-Lawrence, ON
Olivia Chow, New Democrat MP, Trinity-Spadina, ON
Jean Crowder, New Democrat MP, Nanaimo–Cowichan, BC
Libby Davies, New Democrat MP, Vancouver East, BC
Hijal De Sarker, New Democrat candidate, Ottawa South, ON
Vinay Dey, New Democrat candidate, Calgary East, AB
Wess Dowsett. New Democrat candidate, Richmond Hill, ON
Anne Lagacé Dowson, New Democrat Candidate, Westmount, QC
Peter Deslauriers, New Democrat candidate, NDG-Lachine, QC
Ryan Dolby, New Democrat candidate, Elgin/Middlesex/London, ON
Pierre Ducasse, New Democrat candidate, Hull-Aylmer, QC
Linda Duncan, New Democrat candidate, Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Chris Durrant, New Democrat candidate, Beausejour, QC
Ross Eadie, New Democrat candidate, Kildonan-St. Paul, MB
Alice Finnamore, New Democrat candidate, Tobique-Mactaquac, NB
Eric Gillespie, New Democrat candidate, Niagara Falls, ON
Rachel Heinrichs, New Democrat candidate, Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Carol Hughes, New Democrat candidate, Algoma Manitoulin Kapuskasing, ON
Darlene Jalbert, New Democrat candidate, Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, ON
Tyler Kinch, New Democrat Candidate, Calgary Centre, AB
Ted Klassen, Liberal candidate, Portage-Lisgar, MB
Max Lombardi, New Democrat candidate, Cambridge, ON
Wayne Marston, New Democrat MP, Hamilton East – Stoney Creek, ON
Pat Martin, New Democrat MP, Winnipeg Centre, MB
Ray Martin, New Democrat candidate, Edmonton East, AB
Ross Martin, New Democrat candidate, Provencher, MB
Irene Mathyssen, New Democrat MP, London-Fanshawe, ON

Jill McIllwraith, New Democrat candidate, Bruce-Grey, ON
Sue McSheffrey, New Democrat candidate, Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke
Rob Moir, New Democrat candidate, Fundy Royal, NB
Stephen Moore, New Democrat candidate, Wascana, SK
Brian Morin, New Democrat candidate, Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River, SK
Peggy Nash, New Democrat MP, Parkdale High Park, ON

David Orchard, Liberal candidate, Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, SK
Doug Ottenbreit, New Democrat candidate, Yorkton–Melville, SK
Jash Puniya, New Democrat candidate, Bramalea-Gore-Malton, ON
John Rafferty, New Democrat candidate, Thunder Bay Rainy River, ON
Zoe Royer, New Democrat candidate, Port Moody – Westwood – Port Coquitlam, BC
Denise Savoie, New Democrat MP, Victoria, BC
Mike Seaward, New Democrat candidate, Newmarket-Aurora, ON
Bill Siksay, New Democrat MP, Burnaby-Douglas, BC
Stuart Somerville, New Democrat candidate, Red Deer, AB
Mike Sullivan, New Democrat candidate, York South-Weston, ON
Nicolas Thibodeau, New Democrat candidate, Mont-Royal, QC
Matt Turner, New Democrat candidate, Mississauga South, ON
Frank Valeriote, Liberal candidate, Guelph, ON
Brian Van Tilborg, New Democrat candidate, Brant, ON
Judy Wasylycia-Leis, New Democrat MP, Winnipeg North, MB

Michael Geist: The Copyright MPs

Michael Geist’s: The Copyright MPs

Industry Minister Jim Prentice has understandably been the focal point of the Canadian DMCA given that it is his bill and his call as to whether the government will proceed with anti-education, anti-consumer, and anti-business copyright legislation. While every MP should be paying close attention to copyright – anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of MPs from all parties have heard from constituents about the issue – there is a subset that should be particularly concerned.

The Copyright MPs are a group of 27 MPs (nine percent of all MPs) who share two key attributes – they won their riding by 10 percent or less in the last election and their riding is home to a university. The combination is important since it is these MPs – not the very safe Jim Prentice – who will face the consequences of the Prentice bill that will harm a generation well versed in digital technologies, social networks, and the Internet. In some ridings, less than 1,000 votes – roughly the size of some large first year courses – is needed to swing the entire riding. In all, there are 10 Conservatives, 11 Liberals, 4 NDP, and 2 Bloc. Who are the Copyright MPs?

Actions for Artists

Here are some suggestions for those involved in the Arts.

Members of CARFAC / RAAV
Demand that CARFAC / RAAV publically support artists who use appropriation.
They are mandated to support all artists.
Demand that CARFAC / RAAV publicly denounce DMCA style legislation.

Media Artists
Media artists are likely to be the hardest hit of all. The new legislation will all but eliminate media arts which use appropriation. Media artists have both the skill and technology to produce films and audio work. Make a protest piece and get on youtube, myspace etc.

Educators
Get your students invoved. Students are the future of Canadian Culture and have in many ways the most to lose from this legislation.

LINKS

Here are links to sites with action templates, information and further links. Most of these are repeats of the other posts on this page but here they are anyway.

Cory Doctorow – Prentice open house
Copyright for Canadians
Console Source – Action Page
CBC Search Engine – 250 questions for Jim Prentice
Michael Geist – 10 questions for Jim Prentice
Michael Geist – 30 Things You Can Do
Digital Copyright Canada – Send a Letter to Your MP

Console Source Action Page

Console Source has created an Action Page to help people write MPs

The Canadian minority Conservative Government made it clear in their Throne speech earlier this fall that Copyright Reform was a priority. Recent media reports indicate that a Copyright Reform bill will be tabled within the next couple of weeks and people close to the process have revealed that this bill will go beyond way beyond the US counterpart’s DMCA law. It appears that this new legislation will come with very stringent anti-circumvention provisions that prohibit the use of tools or techniques that open files with digital locks, even when the files in question belong to you.

Geist -The Canadian DMCA: What You Can Do

Michael Geist lists 30 things you can do to voice your concern with the new copyright legislation.

With the Canadian version of the DMCA likely to be introduced within the next two weeks, there has a remarkable outpouring of interest from individual Canadians about what they can do to have their concerns heard. The unfortunate reality is that there is nothing can be done about what the bill will look like when it is introduced – Industry Minister Jim Prentice has simply decided discard consumer, education, research, and privacy interests, ignore his own party’s policy platform, and the cave into U.S. pressure. Once the bill is introduced, however, Canadians can send a message to their MPs, the Ministers, and others, calling for a fair copyright bill that addresses Canadian concerns (those in Calgary can do so in person on December 8th as Prentice hosts an open house).

Russell McOrmond – Send a letter to your member of parliament!

Russell McOrland has several templates which will help you to send a letter to your member of parliament!