If you're Canadian, you use Linux and you like multimedia, you're about to become a criminal.

If you're Canadian, you use Linux and you like multimedia, you're about to become a criminal.

This is a kind of crosspost summary of a new copyright amendment bill that was announced yesterday. Bill C-32 attempts to 'modernize' copyright law in Canada to bring it up to spec with other developed nations (aka to meet US agenda).

The bill would make it illegal to circumvent or break locks of any kind on digital media, even for personal use. This supersedes all other provisions of the bill, which means you may be a criminal if you:

Own and play region-locked DVDs from other countries
Play regular DVDs on Linux
Play Blu-Ray Discs on Linux
Transfer media to an iPod Touch / iPhone / iPad using Linux
Listen to DRM'd music on Linux

And anything else that involves protected content that lacks official Linux support.

Speak up while you can. Find your MP and write them an email telling them why you are opposed to C-32.

We don't want a US style DMCA, please don't let that happen.

Edit: Android is also Linux, so this applies to all of you Android users too!

Second Edit: It appears Netflix is refusing to support Linux officially. So in the future if you can make Netflix work on your Linux box, you could go to jail. Even if you are paying for Netflix legitimately.

Third Edit: Here is a template based on the email I wrote to my MP. Feel free to use it, modify it, or ignore it.

Fourth Edit: If you are willing, please take the time to handwrite a letter to your MP instead of sending an email. It's guaranteed to make a much much stronger impact and is a lot harder to ignore. However, don't let this discourage you from sending your email instead. Every voice counts!

Dear ,

I am writing to you again to express a major point of concern I have found with the newly tabled Bill C-32. While this bill appears to make many positive changes, there is one clause which is particularly troubling.

In Article 41 it becomes clear to me that any media with Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection applied supersedes all other changes introduced by the bill. For example,

This bill does not help the consumer, and it does not help the copyright owner either. If it does not help either of these parties, who is benefiting from it?

Bill C-32 has potential, but it needs work.

Thank you for your time,

-

Article 41

Note: The bill in question is C-32, not 62 or any other number. I had a typo in part of my post that I did not catch until recently. My apologies.

ORIGINALLY FROM REDDIT

Considering most servers on the web run Apache, they will be very busy arresting system admins if they pass this ridiculous bill. Google just announced they are no longer going to be using Windows operating systems, so I wonder what that means for Google.ca?

I'm really curious as to how this will play out, especially for google.ca.

Second line.