The Competition Bureau has come down hard on Rogers over wireless advertisements that claiming fewer dropped calls than the new entrants. The Bureau is seeking a $10 million penalty and an immediate end to the campaign. The Bureau could find no evidence for the claims, noting that “the spectrum auction […]
Archive for November, 2010
Ontario Private Member’s Bill Demands Wireless Transparency, Unlocking Phones
A new Ontario Private Member’s bill introduced by MPP David Orazietti focused on wireless services would establish new transparency requirements and mandate unlocking cellphones upon contract expiry. The key provisions of Bill 133 include: a long list of disclosure requirements related to the costs associated with service plans, advertisements, roaming […]
Bill C-32 Legislative Committee Formed
The new legislative committee for the review of Bill C-32 has been announced. Members include: Conservatives Dean Del Mastro, Mike Lake, Kelly Block, Sylvie Boucher, and Peter Braid; Liberals Marc Garneau, Pablo Rodriguez, and Dan McTeague; Bloc MPs Serge Cardin and Carole Lavallée, and NDP MP Charlie Angus. A chair […]
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore on How Copyright Can Treat Consumers Unfairly
When I buy a movie, I’ve paid for the movie. To ask me to pay for it a second time through another device – and to assume that I’m doing illegal copying, to assume that I’m being a pirate, to assume that I’m thieving from people because I happen to own an MP3 player or a BluRay player or a laptop, I think treats consumers unfairly.
While Moore was thinking of the prospect of additional payments through a levy, the words apply equally to the digital lock provisions that make it an infringement for consumers to circumvent locks in order to watch the movie they’ve purchased on a second device. In fact, in some instances – for example, DVDs with non-North American region codes – it involves infringement for merely trying to access the content for the first time.
University of Alberta Looking to Walk Away from Access Copyright
The momentum within Canadian higher education to walk away from Access Copyright in light of its demands for a massive increase in tariffs continues to grow. The University of Alberta, one of the country’s largest universities, has apparently sent notices that it is seriously contemplating walking away at the end […]
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 199: Boris Bytensky on the Criminal Code Reforms in the Online Harms Act 
AI Spending is Not an AI Strategy: Why the Government’s Artificial Intelligence Plan Avoids the Hard Governance Questions 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 198: Richard Moon on the Return of the Section 13 Hate Speech Provision in the Online Harms Act 
Tweets Are Not Enough: Why Combatting Relentless Antisemitism in Canada Requires Real Leadership and Action 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 197: Divest, Ban or Regulate? – Anupam Chander on the Global Fight Over TikTok
