mike the mountain

This stuff scares me. Laws are being written by politicians with no clue under the “advice” of corporations with no concern beyond short-term profit maximization/loss minimization, at the expense of long-term industry sustainability, artistic creativity, and most importantly the protection of the public interest.

I honestly believe that if someone was able to effectively communicate to the average consumer (Canadian, American, anywhere!) what was being done to our rights, the sort of common sense, “of course I can do that” stuff that we all take for granted… I dunno. I’m pissed about it, anyone I talk to is either a) also pissed, or b) totally unaware of what’s going on.

Does Joe Public care that he can’t see some of the most amazing movies from around the world, because DVD manufacturers and movie studios have put regional locks on their players in order to manipulate prices on a market-wide scale?

Or that billion-dollar corporations, built from the ground by “re-imagining” classic stories, are trying to make sure that they continue to make money off of the work of artists that have been dead for decades, while also ensuring that no one can ever use their stories to draw inspiration for a new generation?

I am by no means a “burn-the-rich” anarchist. I’m writing this in my office, wearing a suit and tie, all corporate. I believe in business and profit and people getting paid for what they do. However, I do believe that the government is supposed to be there for the service and protection of it’s citizens, to offer a balance against those forces that may reach a tipping point at which they become a detriment to the public good.