The New Genteel Poor Speak out against Bill C-32 on Copyright

The new genteel poor raised their voices yesterday in a joint statement about the changes needed in Bill C-32, the latest attempt to revise Canada's copyright laws. As I said earlier this week, the new media universe is making it harder and harder to make a living as a writer or other creator. Uncompensated use of one's work is rampant now, and this draft copyright bill will make it even easier.

Let us hope this plea by nearly 90 groups is heard in Ottawa. If the government falls in the next couple of weeks, it would die on the order paper. But without a doubt it would rise again after the election, perhaps in an even more damaging form, should the Conservatives get a majority.

In the meantime, I've taken to refusing 24 Hours, the free tabloid published by the dastardly media giant Quebecor which just outbid Métro for distribution rights in the Montreal subway system. "Quebecor jamais," I said yesterday morning and the guy handing it out, laughed. "Je comprends, I understand," he said. "Bonne journée, have a nice day."

Seems he got the message: let's hope others do too.