OTTAWA – A secret agreement being negotiated by the Harper Conservatives would allow corporations to deny internet access to Canadian citizens if they are accused on three occasions of improper downloading, says New Democrat Digital Issues Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay).

The “three strikes and you’re out” policy would criminalize thousands of everyday Canadians without justification and without anything being proved in court.

“The agreement, which is being hammered out by Canadian trade negotiators, would completely override Canada’s domestic copyright policies. It reads like a wish list for the U.S. corporate lobby. It overrides any flexibility in WIPO implementation," says Angus. "It guts domestic copyright protections and imposes a mandatory 'three-strike' policy that would rob thousands of average Canadians from access to the internet.”

Speaking in the House of Commons today during Question Period, Angus said the Anti-Counterfeiting and Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations make a mockery of the government’s public consultation process on establishing new copyright legislation.
“The EU has leaked details of Canada’s involvement in the secret ACTA treaty negotiations. And guess what? It has exposed the Conservative government’s so-called public consultation process on new copyright policy as a total sham.”

“Canadians need a Minister who will stand up for Canadian interests, not a hand puppet for the U.S. Embassy and corporate lobby," he said. "Will the Minister come clean with Canadians, table the ACTA negotiation mandate letter in the House and admit he is using a foreign treaty to strip this Parliament from a transparent process of balanced copyright reform?”