CanadaJams

wenda atkin · Last edited by wenda atkin on Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:45 am; edited 3 times in total

Online Freedom of Speech Fundraiser
Artists:
Aceface, Dennis O'Toole, Kobo Town, Lindy, and Neil Leyton
The Rivoli Restaurant & Club at 332 Queen St. West, Toronto
Saturday August 5th

Background (from p2pnet.net):

Jon Newton, from Vancouver Island, BC, the founder and editor of p2pnet.net , is being sued by Nikki Hemming, ceo of the infamous Australian Kazaa p2p application. p2pnet was initially also being sued by Kazaa owner Sharman Networks.

The precedent-setting case, the first of its kind, vividly illustrates the danger of applying ancient laws to Freedom of Expression in the digital age.

Sharman and Hemming claimed they'd been libelled in p2pnet posts. But Sharman recently abandoned its case, leaving Hemming to carry the allegation that Newton defamed her in an article outlining Australian court proceedings into her assets, by herself. She also continues to demand the identity of a p2pnet reader who'd posted an anonymous comment included in the same story.

"Our Canadian libel laws say 'Guilty until proven innocent' and if Hemming wins, Canadian bloggers might as well pack up and close their Net accounts because the right of online freedom of speech will be killed stone dead," says Newton.

"And there's something else: as far as I'm concerned, an anonymous post is the same as a confidential source. I don't have to like a post, or even agree with it. But I believe that as an honest and responsible human being, I do have to safeguard the poster, if indeed I know who he or she is which in this case, I didn't."

To help Newton with his legal fees, Toronto based singer/songwriter Neil Leyton has written a song about the situation, and has organized a fundraiser for August 5th at the Rivoli, with fellow Fading Ways Music label-mates Aceface, as well as friends Lindy, Kobotown and Dennis O'Toole.

Leyton's song, as well as other music donated by the participating artists, will also be on sale at the concert.

By way of a pre-concert information session / press conference, a special Online Freedom of Expression round table is also taking place at Toronto's Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 120, Toronto, from 3 - 5PM. The round table will feature the following panelists:

Moderator: Rob Hyndman - http://www.robhyndman.com/

Jon Newton - http://p2pnet.net/story/9333

Jon will have statements from:

* Phillipa Lawson of CIPPIC
* BC media lawyer Dan Burnett who's representing Jon in his upcoming libel case with Kazaa boss Nikki Hemming
* Jason Munning of Ten Mile Tide, the former Kazaa poster band which dropped its association with Sharman Networks and put its albums online for free to protest the libel action. http://www.p2pnet.net/story/9023

Jason Young of Deeth Williams Wall - http://www.dww.com/bios/jmy.htm

Michael Pilling of OpenPolitics.ca: http://www.openpolitics.ca/tiki-index.php

Russell McOrmond of Digital Copyright Canada: http://www.digital-copyright.ca/

For additional information contact Neil Leyton at nleyton@gmail.com, or Tina Siegel at tina.siegel@gmail.com.

wenda atkin

REVIEW

We got through the Caribana Parade on Lakeshore Road to make it to the Round table Meeting.
We listened to the laywers, the victims and the potential victims with the common interest of protecting our rights as Canadians to communicate with each other.
None of the people of there were the ones accused of actually making any libelous posts- just accused of providing the means (the forum or website) on which the posts were made.

Point is:
Technology has changed but our laws have not kept pace.
The law is now putting a chill on our communication.
And it is suggested that once the law is updated, we can all express ourselves freely, as we are known in Canada for having Freedom of Speech.

These days, with MSN, chat rooms, emails, public forums and newsletters with space for submitting comments, we are putting our words in writing.
It opens up the potential for libel suits which would not normally exist if we were just using our mouth.
Instead, we are all considered Publishers - a term previously reserved for Newspapers, journalists, magazines and book writers - those who have a reputation for accuracy, those whose words are scrutinized prior to being viewed. And those whose words are read by many viewers.

More:
http://p2pnet.net/story/9525

Above: Jon Newton sings about our rights

We got to re-meet Jon Newton, the editor of my favourite online newsletter, p2pnet.net. (We knew each other from Lakefield Ontario where our common interest was antiques) and we met Russell McOrmond, one of the writers and participants in the news that appears on p2pnet.net.

The benefit show was well attended, with Kobo Town opening with a Trinidadian-sound, getting the audience to sing along.
Then Dennis O'Toole with some mournful tunes like "the Brave Work". Dennis also wrote a song in honour of the event called "Seven Smooth Stones", with a David vs. Goliath tone.
Dennis was joined by Neil Leyton and Jon and Jon sung his own song about Freedom of Speech.
Then Aceface, 5 piece band, rocked us up, followed by a couple "Lindy" whose voices and songs were wonderful, and finally Neil Leyton's band for some more rock. Neil also wrote a song for this, and organized this event. Thanks Neil!

Click here for Photos

Video:
"Freedom of Speech" by Jon Newton with Neil Leyton, Dennis O'Toole