CMEC & Quebec

It seems that some prominent Quebec publisher spokespersons are opposed to the CMEC special exception for educational use of the internet. There is a very interesting op-ed in Le Devoir today.

So - the CMEC proposal is getting attacked from various sides on the basis of various strongly held points of view.

The politics here could be fascinating, The Bloq Québecois has always been maximalist on copyright. But, if the Bloq decides, for whatever reason, to block a bill containing this kind of provision, that could be real trouble for such a bill.

Could this be one point on which maximalists and users' advocates agree - even if for very different reasons? Two familiar and similar clichés come to mind. The first is that politics makes stange bedfellows. The other is that the enemy of one's enemy can be one's friend.

Could this be the start of a real and open debate that is long overdue? I've been advocating a judicial copyright commission for some time to provide independent and informed guidance on what's best for Canada and to hear all interested parties in the open.

HK