Archive for April 26th, 2010

Fair Copyright for Canada Page Launches

With a new copyright bill that may look much like Bill C-61 likely within a matter of weeks, I've launched a new Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook page (distinct from the group) that can be used to keep current and learn more about what can be done as events unfold.  […]

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April 26, 2010 1 comment News

Industry Canada: Copyright Consultation a “Tremendous Success”

The Wire Report reports on the government's reaction to last summer's copyright consultation.  An Industry Canada spokesperson says: "given the unprecedented level of participation, and the many important views and opinions received, the copyright consultations are considered a tremendous success. As Industry Canada considers future consultation processes, we will draw […]

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April 26, 2010 2 comments News

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore: The iPadLock Minister?

Since his appointment as Canadian Heritage minister in 2008, James Moore has carefully crafted an image as "Canada's iPod Minister." Young, bilingual, and tech-savvy, Moore has expressed regular support for the benefits of the Internet and is always ready with a quick "tweet" for his many followers.  Yet as my op-ed in the Hill Times notes (HT version (sub required), homepage version), according to the scuttlebutt throughout the copyright community, Moore may be less iPod and more iPadlock. As the government readies its much-anticipated copyright package, Moore is said to be pressing for a virtual repeat of Bill C-61, the most anti-consumer copyright proposal in Canadian history.

Moore's about-face on copyright will come as a surprise to those who have heard his enthusiasm for new technology and the Internet.  In June 2009, Moore told Industry Minister Tony Clement's Digital Economy conference that "the old way of doing things is over.  These things are all now one. And it's great. And it's never been better. And we need to be enthusiastic and embrace this things."

Those comments were quickly followed by the national copyright consultation that generated thousands of responses, the majority of which called on the government to abandon the C-61 approach in favour of copyright rules that struck a better balance between the interests of creators and consumers.

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April 26, 2010 64 comments Columns

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore: The iPadLock Minister?

Appeared in the Hill Times on April 26, 2010 as Moore: More Like iPadlock and Less Like iPod Minister Since his appointment as Canadian Heritage Minister in 2008, James Moore has carefully crafted an image as "Canada's iPod Minister." Young, bilingual, and tech-savvy, Moore has expressed regular support for the […]

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April 26, 2010 3 comments Columns Archive