Archive for January 11th, 2010

Yes Men Takedown Trades One Hoax For Another

Last month, the Canadian delegation at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen found itself targeted by the Yes Men in a widely publicized hoax.  The well-known activists satirized the Canadian government’s position on the environment by launching a pair of phoney websites that looked official but promoted different policies. The hoax attracted considerable media attention, prompting Prime Minister's Office spokesman Dimitri Soudas to label it a childish prank.  Soon after, Canadian officials quietly set out to shut down the two websites.  

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that what followed creates a cause for concern, because Environment Canada appears to have misrepresented the harms posed by the sites in an effort to force them offline without a court order.

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January 11, 2010 16 comments Columns

Canada – EU Trade Agreement Negotiations Resume Next Week

Troy Media reports on the ongoing Canada – EU Trade Agreement negotiations.  Leaked documents indicate that there are signficant intellectual property demands from the Europeans.  Negotiations resume in Brussels on January 18th.

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January 11, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

Union des Consommateurs Files ACTA Protest

Union des Consommateurs has posted a public letter expressing concern over the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

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January 11, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

Spain Introduces Website Shut Down Bill

The Spanish government has introduced a new bill that would enable judges to shut down a website allegedly involved in infringing activities.  The new bill is a major change from a prior proposal that envisioned shut downs without court oversight.

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January 11, 2010 1 comment News

UK Digital Economy Bill: Amendment Proposals Nears 300

Reports from the UK indicate that the number of proposed reforms to the UK Digital Economy Bill has hit 299, indicative of considerable disagreement within the House of Lords over the bill.

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January 11, 2010 1 comment News