Michael Geist has posted an Unofficial Canadian DMCA Background Document.  In brief, Canada’s new copyright bill is expected to be introduced this Wednesday afternoon, with minimal opportunities for questions and debate.

Does the following sound like something the Info Policy Committee wrote?

“To make informed decisions, citizens need a wide range of news and information. They also need access to a broad and diverse array of opinions and analyses about matters of public interest. Journalists are important providers of such information, as are the information media that transmit such material. This is why the freedom of the press is widely recognized as a central pillar of any democracy.

In Canada, Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees not only freedom of expression but also freedom of the press and other communications media. Canadians are fortunate to have these protections; this country has a long tradition of excellence in journalism, and can be proud of the overall quality of its news media.

Innovations in technology coupled with recent changes in the ownership of certain news media groups in Canada, however, have raised some concerns and questions. These include: Will the diversity of ownership and of shared information be restricted? Will the diversity of viewpoints be reduced? Will smaller and more remote regions lose out in the new world of much larger media corporations?”

Ok, yes - but this quote is actually from the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications’ Final Report on the Canadian News Media, dated June 2006.