[CivicAccess-discuss] new group in canada

[Michael Lenczner]

"Online Rights Canada (ORC) is a grassroots organization that promotes
the public's interest in technology and information policy. We believe
that Canadians should have a voice in copyright law, access to
information, freedom from censorship, and other issues that we face in
the digital world. Join us by using the form on your right to sign up
for email updates."


- . . . .

:-|


On 12/9/05, Michael Lenczner <mlenczner at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---Original Message-----
> From: Russell McOrmond [mailto:russell at flora.ca]
> Sent: December 9, 2005 4:52 PM
> To: DCC Announcements
> Cc: General Copyright Discussions; Universal Access Canada; GOSLING
> members in Ottawa; CANadian OPENsource Education and Research;
> discuss at linux.ca
> Subject: [CPI-UA] New Canadian Voice in Digital Rights Issues: Online
> Rights Canada (ORC)
>
>
> (Please widely circulate!)
>
> December 09, 2005
> New Canadian Voice in Digital Rights Issues
>
> Online Rights Canada Launches with EFF, CIPPIC Support
>
> Toronto - Online Rights Canada (ORC) launched in Canada Friday, giving
> Canadians a new voice in critical technology and information policy
> issues. The grassroots organization is jointly supported by the
> Canadian
>
> Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) and the Electronic
> Frontier Foundation (EFF).
>
> "Canadians are realizing in ever-greater numbers that the online world
> offers tremendous opportunities for learning, communicating, and
> innovating, but that those opportunities are at risk as a result of
> corporate practices, government policies and legal regimes that hinder
> online privacy and free speech," said Philippa Lawson, Executive
> Director
> and General Counsel of CIPPIC. "Online Rights Canada provides a home on
> the Internet for grassroots activism on digital issues that are
> important
> to ordinary Canadians."
>
> "With the Canadian government preparing for a January election, all of
> last year's legislation is back on the drawing board. Canadians now
> have
>
> another chance to present a public interest perspective on issues like
> copyright reform and increased government surveillance," said Ren
> Bucholz,
> EFF's Policy Coordinator, Americas. "We are happy to be launching ORC
> at
>
> such a critical time."
>
> One of ORC's first actions is a petition drive against unwarranted
> surveillance law. A bill proposed in Parliament last month would have
> allowed law enforcement agencies to obtain personal information without
> a
> warrant and forced communications providers to build surveillance
> backdoors into the hardware that routes phone calls and Internet
> traffic.
> The petition asks Canadian lawmakers to protect citizens' privacy
> rights
>
> when the new government convenes in 2006. Other important issues for
> ORC
>
> will include copyright law, access to information, and freedom from
> censorship.
>
> "Today, ORC focuses on digital copyright and lawful access. But there
> is
>
> no reason to restrict the site to those two issues," said CIPPIC Staff
> Counsel David Fewer. "Our hope is that ORC will evolve into the first
> place to go for Canadians looking for opportunities to protect their
> online rights. Anyone can be an activist - Online Rights Canada will
> give
> you the tools you need."
>
> Online Rights Canada is the latest group to join the global fight for
> digital rights. Digital Rights Ireland launched earlier this week, and
> the
> Open Rights Group launched in the United Kingdom last month.
>
> For Online Rights Canada:
> http://www.onlinerights.ca
>
> Contacts:
>
> Ren Bucholz
> Policy Coordinator, Americas
> Electronic Frontier Foundation
> ren -at- eff -.- org
>
> Philippa Lawson
> Executive Director
> Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
> plawson -at uottawa -.- ca
>
> --
>   Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
>   2378+ Canadians oppose Bill C-60. This bill protects antiquated
> Recording,
>   Motion Picture and "software manufacturing" industries from
> modernization.
>   http://KillBillC60.ca    Sign-->
> http://digital-copyright.ca/petition/
>