My latest Guardian column, “Canada’s copyright laws show Britain’s digital legislation is no exception,” explores the comparative histories of the awful UK Digital Economy Bill (rammed through Parliament with no real debate using dirty procedural tricks) and Canada’s new Bill C-32, a proposed law that ignores the thousands of Canadians who weighed in on the government’s copyright consultation, creating a prohibition on breaking “digital locks,” even when no copyright infringement takes place.

Only 46 of the 8,306 commenters thought otherwise. These 46 commenters advocated replicating America’s failed experiment in Canada; everyone else thought the idea was daft. You’d think that with numbers like 46:8260, the government would go with the majority, right? Wrong.

When minister of industry Tony Clement, and minister of heritage James Moore, published the text of their long-awaited copyright bill, Canadians were floored to discover that the ministers had replicated the American approach to digital locks. Actually, they made it worse – the Americans conduct triennial hearings on proposed exemptions to the rule; Moore and Clement didn’t bother with even this tiny safeguard.

The ministers have been incapable of explaining the discrepancy. When confronted on it, they inevitably point to the fact that their bill also establishes numerous “user rights” for everyday Canadians (for example, the right to record a TV show in order to watch it later), and suggest that this is the “balance” that Canadians asked for. When critics say, “Yes, you’ve created some user rights, but if a digital lock prevents their exercise, it’s against the law to break the lock, right?” the ministers squirm and change the subject.

Canada’s copyright laws show Britain’s digital legislation is no exception

Geek-a-Week trading cards (and Cory in Baltimore today and DC tomorrow!)

Len Peralta was kind enough to feature me in his Geek-a-Week trading card series (collect the whole set — including Morgan Webb, John Hodgman, Jonathan Coulton, Jasmine Kobayashi and many, many more!). There’s also an accompanying podcast.

On the subject of matters personal: if you’re in the DC area, I hope to see you — I’m at Red Emma’s bookstore in Baltimore today, at 3PM (event co-sponsored by Baltimore Node). Tomorrow night, I’m at Copynight at New America Foundation, at 630, event co-sponsored by Public Knowledge.

And if you’re at the American Library Association conference in DC, I hope to catch you Monday morning at 1030AM at the Science Fiction Past Present and Future Program, Convention Center 209A.B.

Canada’s Indigo/Chapters books have launched a summerlong teen literacy promotion that invites readers to pick their favorite books and vote for them in a nationwide poll (you can vote every day, so no need to pick just one!). I’m delighted to learn that my latest YA novel, For the Win, is one of the titles featured. If you liked FTW (or any other recent teen novel), I hope you’ll stop in at Teen Read Awards and cast your vote!

BEST CANADIAN READ NOMINEES

W00t! My novel MAKERS is a finalist for the 2010 John W Campbell Memorial Award. The other nominees include some of my favorite books of the year, such as Bruce Sterling’s CARYATIDS, Bacigalupe’s WINDUP GIRL, Mieville’s CITY AND THE CITY and Wilson’s JULIAN COMSTOCK. I was privileged to win this award for my novel Little Brother in 2009.

I’ve just kicked off a new short story reading on my podcast. I Love Paree is a short story I co-wrote with Michael Skeet, originally published in Asimov’s Magazine in December 2000. It’s the story of a business consultant living in revolutionary Paris during an anti-corporatist uprising, and what he does after he’s conscripted into the Communard Army.

Power-armor fired a round into the ceiling, sending plaster skittering over his suit. The screaming stopped. The PA thundered again. “Your attention, please. These premises are nationalized by order of the Pro-Tem Revolutionary Authority of the Sovereign Paris Commune. You are all required to present yourselves at the third precinct recruitment center, where your fitness for revolutionary service will be evaluated. As a convenience, the Pro-Tem Revolutionary Authority of the Sovereign Paris Commune has arranged for transport to the recruitment center. You will form an orderly single-file queue and proceed onto the buses waiting outside. Please form a queue now.”

My mind was racing, my heart was in my throat, and my Gitane had rolled off the table and was cooking its way through the floor. I didn’t dare make a grab for it, in case one of the frères got the idea that I was maybe going for a weapon. I managed to spot Sissy, frozen in place on the dance floor, but looking around, taking it in, thinking. The trustafarians milled toward the door in a rush. I took advantage of the confusion to make my way over to her, holding her hat and jacket. I grabbed her elbow and steered her toward Power-armor.

“M’ser,” I said. “Please, a moment.” I spoke in my best French, the stuff I keep in reserve for meetings with snooty Swiss bastards who are paying me too much money.

Power-armor sized me up, thought about it, then unlatched the telephone handset from his chest-plate. I brought it up to my ear.

“What is it?”

“Look, this girl, she’s my mother’s niece, she’s only been here for a day. She’s young, she’s scared.”

I Love Paree, Part 1

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(Image: Poor communards, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from moacir’s photostream)