WB threatens mass muggle killings, no more preview screenings, unless Canada changes copyright laws to suit its whims.

Various news outlets a week ago reported on WB banning preview screenings in Canada, because they claim 70% of pirated movies come out of Canada.

So we here in Canada won't be able to attend preview screenings of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, or Oceans 13. (Not like we would have gotten tickets anyways, mostly well connected folks in the entertainment industry get those hookups)

Now, I'm not against stronger rules against piracy per se, but I don't like having a foreign company dictate to us about copyright laws. In fact, my first impulse upon hearing about WB doing this was to petition my MP to ban WB movies altogether, or some act of retribution in a similar vein. It's not like they won't make money on Harry Potter.or Oceans 13, nor is it likely that they are telling the truth about the percentage of movies that come out of Canada (They mostly come out of Asia, but are they doing anything about them? Nope not a damn thing)

Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with piracy, and everything to do with creating a mood in our country. American media intrests want us to change our copyright laws to conform to restrictive american copyright laws. They want things to remain copyright to business esentially forever. So if you want to sample something for a music track, well, tough luck.

Why do they want this? Well. look at youtube. Many beatles songs are coming out of copyright pretty soon, In 2013, copyright for the Beatles' first album expires, also recordings from Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard and other performers of the same era. That trickle will lead to a flood of music being public domain. Imagine being able to use this music and creating your own movie with some songs in the background without having to pay WB or whoever getting a cut. Imagine being able to sample this music in your rap songs without worrying about being sued. The major entertainment companies despise this notion, even though thats how copyright works. Copyright is a TEMPORARY right to a monopoly on an entertainment release, allowing it certain rights such as protection under the law from infringement, for a reasonable amount of time.

Media interests want this amount of time to be forever. They want to own the creative process, make money off of someones work they own in perpetuity. These copyright laws aren't about stopping camcording of a movie (who watches cams of movies? Nobody who would pay to see it in the first place) Media interests want you to watch their movies on their special magically encrypted box or in their theatres where they control how you watch it, along what previews you see.

If you are Canadian, please mail your MP that you are against rollin over and givin American media interests any extra provisions in OUR laws so that they can monopolize the public domain forever and ever and limit OUR creativity in the process.

Fact of the matter is, We owe WB nothing. The Trailer Park Boys movie never aired in American movie theatres. Why is that? Because American's have no problem restricting us from making money off our cultural exports. WB, Disney, all these conglomerates own all of the american distribution channels and lock Canadians out. We should do the same, and say screw off.