Editing Jim Prentice (section)

===Copyright legislation and controversy===
Bringing "Canada into [[WIPO]] treaty compliance" had been stated as one of Prentice's goals in future copyright legislation.<ref>{{cite video |people= Jim Prentice |date=2007-12-08 |title=Meeting Jim Prentice, the Minister of Industry |publisher= Andy Doan |location= Calgary, AB |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF_dHu5fRAk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/JF_dHu5fRAk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=2008-06-05 |time=1:50 minutes}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It has been pointed out repeatedly, however, that at the time of Prentice's statement of his rationale for introducing amendments to the ''Copyright Act'', there was no international legal obligation to implement any provision of the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]] (WIPO) Copyright Treaty (WCT) or the WIPO Performances & Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) since neither had been ratified by Canada.<ref name=ablawgCP>{{cite web |last1=Hagen |first1=Gregory |url=http://ablawg.ca/2008/03/11/a-note-on-integrity-in-treaty-making-copyright-law/ |title=A Note on Integrity in Treaty Making & Copyright Law |work=Ablawg |date=March 11, 2008}}</ref> Prentice has promised to "put consumers first." claiming in an editorial that "(C-61) allows the recording of webcasts and TV and radio programs to be enjoyed at different times" while ignoring the fact that if the files are protected by [[digital rights management]] (DRM) it is illegal to break the DRM to make the recording.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/canadian-approach-to-copyright/article_ec7a9dcf-08de-59d8-b9c4-790c4aa167b5.html | work=The Star | location=Toronto | title=Canadian approach to copyright | date=June 17, 2008 | access-date=March 20, 2024}}</ref> [[Michael Geist]], Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, has suggested that the core desire of the draft legislation is "to satisfy U.S. pressure by enacting something very close to the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act".<ref>{{cite news|first1=David |last1=George-Cosh |url=http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=558674 |title=Tories eye $500 fine for illegal downloads |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703191414/http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=558674 |archive-date=2008-07-03|work=Financial Post|date=2 June 2008|access-date=11 June 2008}}</ref>

[[Image:Canada Bill C-61 Opposition.jpg|thumb|An opponent of the proposed Bill C-61 holds up a protest sign at a public breakfast event held during the [[Calgary Stampede]] by Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice.]]

Prentice did not immediately provide a rationale for not discussing the issue with CBC Radio Canada despite the hundreds of questions that flooded in from concerned Canadians.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/searchengine/blog/2007/12/jim_prentice_says_no.html |title=Jim Prentice says no |publisher=www.cbc.ca |access-date=2008-06-07 |last=CBC Radio |author-link=CBC Radio |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080422165936/http://www.cbc.ca/searchengine/blog/2007/12/jim_prentice_says_no.html |archive-date = April 22, 2008}}</ref> He also refused to talk to a group of protesters who went to his office to express their concern, stating "When [[Minister of Canadian Heritage|Canadian Heritage Minister]] [[Josée Verner]] and I have reached a consensus and we're satisfied, we will introduce a bill."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/new-canadian-copyright-bill-on-downloading-delayed-1.295743 |title=New Canadian copyright bill on downloading delayed |publisher=www.ctv.ca |access-date=2018-05-11 |last=The Canadian Press|date=14 May 2008 }}</ref> Prentice has also implied that he will not follow the Government's policy to table the WCT & WPPT 21 days prior to introducing copyright amendments designed to implement parts of these treaties contrary to the Government's policy on treaty implementation.<ref name=ablawgCP/> Industry Canada announced on June 11, 2008, that Prentice "will deliver brief statements and answer media inquiries shortly after the tabling of a bill to amend the Copyright Act ... [on] Thursday, June 12, 2008".<ref>[http://www.ic.gc.ca/cmb/welcomeic.nsf/0365f77a8a847e1e8525655d006e1f91/85256a5d006b9720852574650065cf5b!OpenDocument Government of Canada to Table Bill to Amend the Copyright Act] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612120601/http://www.ic.gc.ca/cmb/welcomeic.nsf/0365f77a8a847e1e8525655d006e1f91/85256a5d006b9720852574650065cf5b!OpenDocument |date=June 12, 2008 }} – Industry Canada website. Retrieved 11 June 2008.</ref> After less than two hours, hundreds of Canadians and critics panned the new [[An Act to amend the Copyright Act (39th Canadian Parliament, 2nd Session)|Bill C-61]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Docid=3570473&file=4 |title=Bill C-61 – Government of Canada |publisher=www2.parl.gc.ca |access-date=2008-06-12 |last=Government of Canada}}</ref> as nothing more than pandering to US interests at the expense of Canadians.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/copyright-law-could-result-in-police-state-critics-1.707544 |title=Copyright law could result in 'police state,' critic warns |publisher=www.cbc.ca |access-date=2008-06-12 |last=CBC Radio |author-link=CBC Radio | date=June 12, 2008}}</ref>

On a 10-minute interview with the CBC's [[Search Engine (radio show)|Search Engine]] radio program he dismissed any question related to [[digital rights management]] as "extremely technical" and claimed that the market will take care of copy protected CDs.  Prentice then hung up mid question and refused to continue the interview at a later time.  Most notably, Jim Prentice hung up before answering Jesse Brown's final question about who, under this bill, would have the power to investigate potential copyright violations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/searchengine_20080619_6331.mp3 |work=[[CBC News]] |title=Search Engine podcast: Jim Prentice Unlocked (1:00–11:00) |first=Jesse |last=Brown |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627111116/http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/searchengine_20080619_6331.mp3 |archive-date=June 27, 2008 }}</ref>