Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights
 

Over a year ago, following the introduction of Bill C-61 we posted two videos to YouTube relating to Canadian copyright reform. These videos originally aired on the Business News Network formerly Report on Business TV. One video featured Canadian copyright scholar/expert Howard Knopf squaring off against Stevan Mitchell of the Entertainment Software Association (Howard Knopf Coming To The Defense Of Canadian Consumers – YouTube).

The second video featured professor Jeremy de Beer sparring with CRIA lobbyist, Barry Sookman over the implications of Bill C-61 (Jeremy de Beer & Barry Sookman On Bill C-61 – YouTube). On June 22, 2009 YouTube notified us that these videos had been removed citing a copyright complaint from The Business News Network. One of the notifications from YouTube:

We have received copyright complaint(s) regarding material you posted, as follows:

* from Business News Network about Howard Knopf Coming To The Defense Of Canadian Consumers
Video ID: YFFdSJ1R9ZE

Just a few days prior to our videos being pulled Jesse Hirsh tweeted that YouTube had just pulled one of his videos. A BNN clip which had Jesse taking on a CRIA representative (Jesse Hirsh on RoBTV Regarding BitTorrent – YouTube). What was happening? Was BNN demanding every clip posted on YouTube be taken down or were they targeting clips relating to Canadian copyright reform only? A quick search of YouTube would indicate the latter.

It has been one week since the takedown of three important clips relating to Canadian copyright reform and YouTube still has dozens of live BNN & ROBTV videos (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here).

Given the above evidence one can only assume that The Business News Network’s intended goal is to silence the debate surrounding Canadian copyright reform by suppressing the rebroadcast of clips which may be unfavourable for industry lobby groups. This also leads one to ask if BNN is acting at the request of a third party or at its own discretion. Since it is not evident that BNN is removing ALL of their content from YouTube and since we believe the clips we posted are part of a very important discussion we have reposted the videos:

---

UPDATE: Rose Noonan of the Business News Network has provided CCER with clear evidence that BNN is indeed targeting all YouTube content and not just that relating to the Canadian copyright debate. While this is a reassuring development it is at the same time troubling that in a time when many broadcasters are forging partnerships with YouTube BNN has chosen the forced removal of content.