Zweimal Michael Geist zum Copyright

Zweimal Michael Geist: Der kanadische Urheberrechtsprofessor beschreibt ausführlich bei der BBC den aktuellen Schlichtungsvorschlag beim Sony Rootkit und geht auf zukünftige Gerichtsfälle rund um das Thema TCPA und Verbraucherschutz ein: Legal fallout from Sony’s CD woes.

Countries worldwide are awakening to the need for consumer protections against TPM misuse. While the Sony settlement does not address all TPM concerns – consumers should also be granted product return rights and should not be placed in the middle of corporate fights over interoperability – its legacy may provide the starting blueprint for a model TPM consumer protection statute that finds a place on the legislative agenda of governments around the globe.

Und dann hat er noch in seinem Blog heute einen weiteren interessanten Beitrag veröffentlicht: Campaign Contributions. Demnach hat eine kanadische Abgeordnete, welche sich vehement für eine Verschärfung der Urheberrechtsgesetzgebung in Kanada eingesetzt hat, massive finanzielle Unterstützung der Copyright-Industrie bekommen:

While I have no doubt that the contributions were lawful, I would only re-iterate the point I made in my original post on this issue. At a time when public cynicism about politicians is at an all-time high and millions of Canadians, particularly those concerned with education, security, consumer rights, privacy, and the Internet, are focused on balanced copyright reform, the acceptance of these campaign contributions sends the worst possible message. As someone who spends considerable time writing and speaking about balanced copyright in the broader public interest, count me as deeply discouraged with the process beneath the process.