Search Engine is a CBC Radio podcast that I have been enjoying for some time. Today they announced that they would be expanding their voice to other CBC outlets, but not continuing with the podcast in the present form. For their last show they managed to get Industry Minister Jim Prentice on the line for 10 minutes to address listener concerns regarding Bill C-61. Although not necessary surprised by this government’s lack of understanding of the complexities of enforcement and sheer sustainability of such legislation, I was left somewhat agog at the Minister’s inability to address the concerns and situations presented with certainty and clarity.
The Education and Research amendments posted on the Industry Canada website are still singing the ‘digital copies for single print use only’ refrain which is mind boggling in a age of portable media devices and digital text.
There is much talk of ‘digital locks’ in Minister Prentice’s plan which reminded me of this article regarding the sheer folly of DRM and ‘digital locks’ and how applying a dabble of crowdsourcing to an ‘unbreakable lock’ usually results in egg-faced DRM engineers – DVD Jon is a good case in point.
This Bill is in its third reading and it looks like it might be become law unless saner minds prevail. Let’s hope the Canadian government doesn’t make a criminal out of me.
Ugh. I sort of hoped the silliness of C-61 and DRM for the web had blown over. I particularly remember my horror at the complete lack of understanding of how web courses operated, reflected in the requirements. Anyone managing online courses would have to ADD STAFF to take care of the level of documenting, pulling out and putting back in, and other make-work the legislation would have required back when I was tracking it. Just what we need in a era of reduced availability of funding for expansion.
I am against this bill for so many philosophical reasons, but practically speaking Bill C-61 is set to create a huge administrative nightmare for educators and librarians.
Forcing educators to destroy course material after it has been used once is ridiculous (whoohooo! work for life for me rebuilding courses every term!). And expecting librarians and educational institutions to become to digital police force and “…take measures to limit the distribution of digitally delivered course materials to students in that course, and to prevent students from copying or distributing course materials.” is an impossible task. What are we saying to students here? “Here you go, take this great material, but don’t share the knowledge with anyone else.” It’s insane.
On another note, I’m very disappointed CBC is canceling Search Engine. It was a great show and the only mainstream radio program that I know of that has been following Bill C-61 from day 1.