Crimilisation and stigmatizing of P2P continues

As reported by the Globe and Mail, a poll commissioned by the Canadian Recording Industry Association, tries to link free downloading – which is not illegal in Canada – as a gateway crime leading to bigger illegal things.

“Not only does music file-swapping harm artists, but it also points to an erosion of respect for intellectual property that threatens Canada’s economy and values at the core of our society,” said Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, which commissioned the polls.

“The ‘if it’s there, it’s free’ thinking extends far beyond entertainment products and software to ideas themselves,” Mr. Henderson added, noting a rise in plagiarism in schools and universities.

another poll by Environics suggests that “Canadians between the ages of 18 and 29 are much more willing than other age groups to make illegal copies of software programs, cheat on exams or even shoplift”.

Next out : poll suggest evil “downloads” less likely to floss, and eat vegetables.

“If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding.
How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?”

More in the LinkRoll under Copy Right, Now on Boing Boing (I gave Cory a bad url, ack!) and SlashDot with the comment Correlation does not imply causation, and Michael Geist also weighs in on The Onion, CRIA Edition, also the G&M’s Jack Kapica comments on the reaction to original report CRIA’s file-sharing claim ‘wrong headed,’ group says and asks – in his no perm link / no comments blog like thing – for sept 29th Cheating and downloading music How can the CRIA expect us to believe Environics’ research when it’s conducted by effectively the same company as the one that handles the CRIA’s publicity?