Book People Archive

In Canada, "Hollywood's MP" sent packing 

[What does a Canadian election have to do with online books?  Read on...]

With a largely Canadian family, I had to check last night's election results
as soon as I woke up.  First thing I noticed: the Liberal government is out,
and is likely to be replaced by a minority Conservative government.
Second thing: the Liberals maintained a stronghold in Toronto, Canada's
largest city, *except* for losing two key seats to the (further-left) New
Democratic Party. One was won by Olivia Chow, wife of the party
leader, in a race she was widely expected to win last time but didn't get
until this election.  The *other* one was won by Peggy Nash, who upset
Samite ("Sam") Bulte, winner of the previous 3 elections in her riding.
("Riding" is the Canadian term for parliamentary district.)

Bulte is most famous online for becoming a crusader for American-style
tightening of copyright law after receiving campaign contributions from the
entertainment industry.  (Canada's copyrights have shorter terms than the US,
as well as other provisions that mostly have the balance more in favor
of the audience than current US copyright laws.)  I couldn't find this
angle mentioned in the immediate post-election news reports from CBC, the
Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, or the National Post.
But it was mentioned some in pre-election press, and was prominent in
online commentary, led by folks like lawyer Michael Geist and Boing Boing
writer (and former riding resident) Cory Doctorow.

Peggy Nash, winner of this election, is the same candidate that lost by
3000 votes in the previous elections in 2004.  This time, the Parkdale Forum
(a blog for the local riding that's pro-NDP but not particularly interested
in copyright) reports that that about 5000 more people cast their ballots.
So even though Bulte only lost about 1000 votes compared to last time,
Nash ended up winning this time by 2000 votes.  "The unexpected phenomenon in
Parkdale-Highpark was the number of new voters who voted overwhelmingly
for Peggy Nash," says the blog, in
http://parkdaleforum.blogspot.com/2006/01/nash-wins-parkdale-highpark-goes-ndp.html .

It would be overstating the case to say that online activism over the
copyright issue was *the* reason that Bulte was unseated.  Among other
factors, the popularity of the Liberals has generally eroded due to
various scandals, and Nash got an important endorsement from Toronto's mayor.
Still, I think it can safely be said that the work of Internet- and
pro-audience copyright activists-- the folks that Bulte lashed out at
as "pro-user zealots"--  made a difference.  Some of the blogs that
kept the Bulte issue going are widely read, and they spurred campaigning by
local folks who might have otherwise been apathetic.  They helped turn out
many new votes for the NDP candidate (whether or not all the voters came out
specifically because they cared about Canada's copyright policies.)   Given
the lock that the Liberal party has over most of Toronto's ridings (including
in this election), it takes quite a bit of work for them to lose a city seat,
and it happened here.

So, Canada appears to be more likely to retain more sensible copyright laws.
The entertainment industry will have to find a new champion for their
agenda in Canada's parliament.  And folks who want to have richer online
libraries, and more liberal copyright policies that help sustain it, can
know that sometimes, with the help of their efforts, the "good guys" win.

Which puts me in a good mood today, as well as giving me a sudden urge
to go find some Nellie McClung online....

John