OTTAWA, ON — Earlier this week, the Swiss government released a report that determined that the act of file-sharing, for personal use, does not detrimentally affect copyright holders. The study reports that the funds that may have been spent on CDs and DVDs is instead spent on “concerts, movies and merchandising,” which are often far more profitable areas for copyright holders than the original material itself. Consumers continued to spend the same portion of their income on entertainment as they always have. For more details on the Swiss report, view the article on Ars Technica.

The Pirate Party of Canada is very excited about this development as it marks another step in legitimizing non-commercial file-sharing. By demonstrating that there is no real physical loss to copyright holders, the Swiss governmental report demonstrates exactly what we have been saying all along. With the continuing threat of Bill C-11, “An Act to Amend the Copyright”, which aims to further block non-commercial file-sharing, strip away our users rights, and give DRM software the ability to restrict the method by which we can view the digital products we buy, we believe the time has come to take action!

Pirates are advised to contact their local MPs to voice their concern and specifically reference the Swiss report. This can be done over the phone, via e-mail, or through standard snail mail (with no postage required). You can find your MP here: http://tinyurl.com/3dg9g3 . You should also contact PM Harper and Opposition party leaders with your concerns. Tell your friends about the bill and ask that they do the same. Lastly, send in a few letters to the editor and feel free to use Results Canada to help you pass them to numerous news sources (http://results-resultats.ca/Tools/LetterToEditor_eng.asp )