Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights
 

Ubisoft is set to receive a government grant to the tune of $263 million to set up a new game design studio in Toronto. Touted by the Ontario Government as a shift toward more high tech type jobs and projected to add as much as 800 jobs over the next 10 years, however, a number of questions linger. Ubisoft reported a profit last year of $111.5 million, but the Ontario Government feels it can justify sinking $263 million into this company?

We invite you to draw your own conclusions from the above but do not ignore the fact the Ubisoft is committed to substantial investment and operations in Canada. This then leads to our next question; if Canadian IP laws are really as lax as the ESA, CRIA, CMPDA and IIPA claim them to be, why would one of the largest and most respected games studios in the world want to expand operations and continue investmenting in Canada? After all, the International Intellectual Property Alliance claims:

Canada, virtually alone among developed economies in the OECD, remains almost entirely out of compliance with the global minimum world standards embodied in the Treaties…To underscore U.S. insistence that Canada finally take action to address the serious piracy problem it has allowed to develop just across our border, and that it bring its outmoded laws up to contemporary international standards, IIPA recommends that Canada be elevated to the Priority Watch List in 2009.

So does Ubisoft just have a backwards business model? Would a prominent, well regarded and growing video game developer really expand in a country where apparently piracy is the “scourge” causing “considerable economic and competitive damage to Canada’s manufacturing and services sectors and to Canada’s international reputation by the proliferation of counterfeiting and piracy of intellectual property.” Someone is clearly feeding the Canadian public and politicians false information. I would hedge my bets on Ubisoft having this one right and the lobbyists, special interest groups and lawsuit happy IP lawyers continuing to lack real world examples to back their outrageous blame Canada claims.

Embattled Canadian Minister of Industry Jim Prentice woes continue. Amid speculation of an imminent cabinet shuffle and the Wiki scrubbing controversy it appears that Prentice will no longer be speaking at the OECD’s Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy scheduled for next week.

Prentice’s name which appeared on the agenda as of May 6, 2008 has been replaced on the updated agenda as of June 6, 2008 by the Deputy Minister of Industry, Richard Dicerni (image with Prentice / without Prentice. This was to be a high-profile event for Prentice, even on his own website he lauded:

“This June, the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development will hold its Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy in Seoul, Korea. I have been invited to be Vice-Chair for the meeting, which will provide an excellent opportunity to re-establish Canada’s position as a leader both in policy and market performance. We’re very serious about science and technology. We strongly believe that our S&T Strategy is the best framework for moving forward, and I’m pleased that ITAC has endorsed the strategy.”

The big question now is why has Prentice opted out of speaking at the OECD meeting next week. It would seem that he is still intent on tabling the Canadian DMCA prior to the OECD meeting next week and by not appearing at the meeting he can avoid having to answer critical questions relating to the controversial legislation in an international forum. This explanation is certainly supported by Peter Van Loan’s recent move to ensure that all contact between constituents furious Canadian consumers and Conservative MPs relating to copyright reform be forwarded to Jim Prentice’s office.

With only 8 sitting days remaining before the summer break it is essential that if you object to a restrictive, made in America copyright reform bill you send a letter to Prentice, Verner and Harper now!