Canadian politician launches government petition to buy BioWare from EA

A Canadian politician has launched an official government petition to try and save developer BioWare from its closure by Electronic Arts. Per IGN, the petition calls for the government to provide funds to help the studio's employees buy it back and secure its intellectual property.

The petition, designated e-7898, was sponsored by Member of Parliament Don Davies. It has already gathered nearly 3,000 signatures, according to PC Gamer. Hitting 500 signatures is enough for the petition to be formally submitted to Canada's parliament and require an official government response within 45 days.

MP Don Davies provided a statement to IGN, accusing EA of a pattern of buying studios, mismanaging them, and then shutting them down for profit. "New Democrats want BioWare to stay in business, preferably under Canadian control," Davies said. "We believe that the employees at BioWare ought to have the first opportunity to buy back their studio."

The petition also asks the government to shield Canadian businesses from foreign corporate influence. However, PC Gamer notes a major hurdle: EA owns BioWare and its games, and has shown no interest in selling them. While the petition guarantees a parliamentary discussion, significant government action is considered unlikely.