The final panel on policy resolutions at the NDP’s Montreal convention will deal with human rights issues. And the Young New Democrats of Quebec have proposed a resolution which covers a number of issues worth including in that discussion: 6-26-13Resolution on Rights in the Digital AgeSubmitted by the Young New
Continue readingTag: copyright
Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Cory Doctorow duly blasts the Harper Cons for meekly complying with an onerous copyright treaty which isn’t even in force. Which raises the question: if the Cons were really interested in demonstrating some independence as a response to the U.S. declining to rubber-stamp
Continue readingArt Threat: Pirate Bay documentary debuts online
The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard documentary, which tells the story behind the embattled Swedish Pirate Bay project, is now available on YouTube. The film just premiered in Europe and was simultaneously launched on line at Youtube and for download on…Pirate Bay. Following the TPB founders, Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: A Year After SOPA, A Look At The Next 5 Battles For Internet Freedom
by Trevor Timm | Electronic Frontier Foundation, Jan. 18, 2013: One year ago today, Internet users of all ages, races, and political stripes participated in the largest protest in Internet history, flooding Congress with millions of emails and phone calls to demand they drop the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)—a dangerous
Continue readingArt Threat: Buying music online is a bad deal
In the United Kingdom, music retailer HMV is on life support. Although HMV Canada’s parent company is mounting a rescue attempt, the brand responsible for 35% of the CD market in Britain may soon collapse, in large part due to the shift towards purchasing music online. While many consumers would
Continue readingArt Threat: Sony hatches ploy to keep Bob Dylan out of the public domain
Bob Dylan has a new album out, but you’re not supposed to listen to it. Sony Music has released a box set of demos by the artist, entitled The 50th Anniversary Collection: The Copyright Extension Collection, Vol 1. With only 100 units available, the ultra exclusive release isn’t intended to
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Geist on Copyright vs. Internet
An interesting, long lecture from Canadian copyright expert Michael Geist, given at the U of Sask. recently.
ADDED: Here’s a little on open government, as presented at the U of Regina
Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- Duncan Cameron highlights the choice between austerity and prosperity facing the governments of both Canada and the U.S.:The economic realities faced by working people in both Canada and the United St…
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Batman
I’m not a fanatical comic book movie watcher. I did go to see “Batman The Dark Knight Rises” [10/10] Tuesday though, and it was great. It would have helped to have recently viewed the previous movie which is mentioned to some degree, but the story can stand on its own.
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Copyright Win for the People of Canada
There were some not-so-small victories in the recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling Thursday on copyright and fair dealing. Americans have “fair use”, and Canadians have “fair dealing”. There is so much common sense in the court ruling, I can’t help but feel that the justices must have taken leave
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your weekend. – In keeping with the theme of my column this week, the Mound of Sound highlights the distinction between a “plutonomy” which serves as the source of easy profits, and a “precariat” which businesses are looking to treat as irrelevant (except when they need
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Mia Rabson writes that patronage and secrecy are thriving under the Harper Cons, even after they’ve lost any excuse about other parties’ ability to stop their plans: But when the federal appointments process has no transparency, any time someone with political ties as
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Digital Restrictions Management: Do You Own That DVD You “Bought”
Originally posted on Back of the Book – Imagine buying a house, and being locked out of the basement. That’s what digital locks do too. If you’ve been following Canadian politics, particularly the new Copyright Act (Canada’s DMCA) Bill C-11, you’ve heard of “digital locks”. A digital lock, or Digital
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Eye of Scheer over Peace Tower of Sauron #LordOfTheBills
What’s going on inside the House of Commons today is no laughing matter. In fact, Minister Tony Clement told me that if I don’t like his joking about the step back from democratic debate in Canada, I shouldn’t read his tweets. Seriously. @saskboy @kady Don't like my sense of humour?
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Ten Years Blogging
I may have marked this milestone in February, but Google doesn’t tell me I did, and I don’t remember. Old bloggers also repeat themselves. My blogging is ten years old this year, making me a veritable Tyrannosaurus Rex of Open Data. I started posting photos and tales of my voyages
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Trish Hennessy reminds us that a system of taxes and social spending is ultimately the most valuable means of pooling our resources for everybody’s benefit. And E.J. Dionne highlights the need for progressives to speak up for the principle of collective public action.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Dana Flavelle and Rachel Mendleson both cover Lars Osberg’s study on the harmful effects of inequality. But let’s highlight the key conclusion from the original source: (T)he continuation of a divergence in income growth trends necessarily creates changing flows of consumption and
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Small Time Video
Gormley was critical of the bad language in Gunderson’s videos. I don’t care for foul language in most music either, but at least Gormley has a valid excuse for acting like a crotchety old man; I don’t know what my problem is. I do love Dirty Spaceman, however. And I
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Who Owns Creations
One of my most popular videos is one of Richard Stallman answering my questions about the proprietary nature and danger of iPads and cell phones. YouTube linked me to this other interesting video where an early Radio Shack laptop is visible. It ran on AA batteries, and I used it
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: RoboCoke: Fun Contest to Celebrate Dying Democracy
I dislike both Coke and iTunes, thinking the world would be a better place without either of them. I hate RoboCon a lot more though, because our country would be a lot better off without cynical and illegal attempts to subvert our democratic elections. So I’m combining all of these
Continue reading