xiaNaix
Stop The Canadian DMCA ... AGAIN!!!
Back in June of 2008, we posted asking all Canadian WiiNewz members to help fight the upcoming Canadian DMCA law. It did not pass but there are now renewed efforts to resurrect it.
Canada has been promoted to the “Priority Watch List”. That’s right, when it comes to the protection of Intellectual Property in the eyes of a biased, lobby dependent, cabinet level position of the US Government Canada now joins the ranks of China, Russia, India and Algeria (just to mention a few).
We implore any and all Canadians reading this to use the handy forum at the URL below to contact the necessary politicians and let your voice be heard!
http://www.ccer.ca/send-a-letter-to-ottawa...-canadian-dmca/
QUOTE
garyopa
ESA pushing our Canadian gov. to outlaw "modchips".
Since xiaNaix finally added this very important topic to Wiinews, I will recap some of my postings I have made on this subject over at "tekhSkeen" site, you can view the whole thread at this link:
http://www.tehskeen.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=11561
But here is my thoughts on the subject and some more news links:
Here is the press release link to the actual statement from "THE ESA" in the states:
http://www.theesa.com/newsroom/release_det...sp?releaseID=61
There is an ESA Canada but it is just a branch office, but they did release this report recently about the status of game companies in Canada:
http://www.theesa.ca/ResearchReport09.pdf
The biggest member with any pull in Canada is UbiSoft alot of their games are designed in the Montreal studios, as is a few other gaming companies, plus alot of the famous "Need 4 Speed" series was done by Canadian guys in the Vancover studios.
As for the subject of this thread, the ESA even tho it is based in the states, has alot of pull with the current police already here in Canada, and they already have started action in Canada even with the current laws we have, they have many undercover agents working in Canada going to places, buying goods, and getting machines modded and building a database of service places here in Canada.
So far they have only taken some action in the Montreal area, mainly because alot of the game companies are based in that city, and they have been able to charge "modders" by using the existing laws which are where originally designed for those using "computers" to "hack" or "inject" or "change" or "tamper" with programs or "telephones", etc.
They been applying those laws in Canada to "Video Gaming Consoles", basically treating the console the same as a "Computer" (The only one that sticks so far on those charges is the PS2, PSP, PS3, as Sony is labels and is called "Sony Computer Entertainment" and those 22-wire modchips are easy for a judge to understand and look at, compare to "firmware flashs" on x360)
Here is link to some of the action taken recently in the Montreal area:
http://wiinewz.com/forums/wii-modchips/940...k-my-chips.html
Canada already try last year to pass a bill which was basically a clone of the USA DMCA law, to try to please the states in their copyright push:
http://wiinewz.com/forums/nintendo-news/69...-in-canada.html
But so far with our current status of gov. parties, no one party holds enough seats to get a bill like that passed, and the last attempt failed as we ended up holding another sort of election and then stopping the gov. for holidays and restarting it again in the new year, and our current leader moved various mp's (the ones pushing, the law before) to new depts. and with Canada also being in recession now, the focus got lost in drafting up a new DMCA bill for
Canada.
Hopefully we can enjoy our freedom some more in Canada, but it will not be for long as Canada has always been a "mouse" in the "cat's mouth" (states).
As for the ESA watch out for them, they are strong as is another group called IPSA, I know first-hand as I been fighting them in court already over other matters (the so called installation of "homebrew" and the running of "emulator's" on gaming consoles) and this battle has cost me alot on lawyer fees already, but I can't said more as it is still an on-going criminal batte.
And here is great link, this one is from Geist Blog, he is lawyer in Canada that keeps up on the changes in Canada regarding our use of technology, current laws and possible bills, and various problems, threats, etc:
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3914/125/#comments
Looks like we are in for long heated debate this summer, with lots of news coverage by our Canadian media, which is most controlled by the states, here is some recent news coverage by our local newspapers:
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/624264
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/624263
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/624262
Here is recent example of the ESA in Canada getting a new law passed, this one is in regard to selling "Video Games" in Quebec (part of Canada which speaks mostly French).
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23051
This law took over a year to pass after a deal was made with the ESA and retailers, basically it makes it a crime to sell the "English-Only" version of the game, if the same title of the "Video Game" is made in France or an Canadianized Bi-Lang (both English/French) is available for sale.
The only problem is some of the games which contain the "French" lang. is only found currently on the PAL region version sold overseas, so what in Quebec you can't sell the English version unless you have the "France" PAL version in your stores, but wait the PAL version means you need to "MOD", "CHIP" your console to play it if you wish to use it correctly, so what happens if Canada passes another law that forbids modding.
I can quickly smell a legal battle coming soon, one law against another, the only ones going to win is the wallets of the already overpaid lawyers.
The truth is it is all about control, the companies that are pushing the ESA to ban "modchips" in this fine country of ours, is Sony and Nintendo. Now everone would think M$ would be also with the x360, but funny thing is M$ only cares still about the original XBOX modding.
The reason is control of content, the big three really could not care less about piracy, even tho they push that reason to the media about why they want "modchips" out of the marketplace.
The real reason that Sony and Nintendo does not like the modchips is that it opens the door to unlicensed content, "homebrew", "media players", "emulators" and various "mods" to their prized games.
M$ could not care less about the current x360 mods, since it does not break their "signing of content" and does not open the door to "homebrew", M$ was quick to patch the one door that open with "King Kong", and then again with "downgrading" the kernal, reason opening of unlicensed content.
Same with Nintendo always looking to block the Zelda, and HBC, and trucha-signed discs, but really not upset about the "drivekey" since it does not allow "unlicensed content".
But "piracy reason" sells better to the media and gov. for pushing to get rid of "modding", "places that install mods", and "selling of modchips", etc.
But enough of my "editorial" soap-box, back to playing some Video Games!
But remember if you are an fellow Canadian, please sign help stop our gov. from bringing in a USA-written DMCA law. Let Canadians write our own laws.
![cpirate[1].jpg](http://pix.gbatemp.net/101807/cpirate[1].jpg)
