Archive for October 31st, 2011

Why Isn’t YouTube Canadian?: My Appearance Before the Industry Committee

Earlier this month I appeared before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, which is conducting a study on the e-commerce market in Canada. A transcript of the hearing is available here and audio of the hearing here.  My prepared opening remarks are posted below. The discussion that followed touched a wide range of issues including copyright reform and competitiveness in the wireless and broadband sectors.

Appearance before the Standing Committee on Industry
October 17, 2011

Good afternoon.  My name is Michael Geist. I am a law professor at the University of Ottawa where I hold the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. 

I appear before this committee today in a personal capacity representing only my own views.

I want to congratulate the committee for launching this study of e-commerce in Canada.  It is a critically important issue deserving of greater attention.  While the committee has identified some excellent questions, I’d boil the issue down to a single one:

Why have Canadian consumers embraced e-commerce, but Canada has failed to produce many significant global e-commerce success stories?

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October 31, 2011 10 comments Committees, News

The Daily Digital Lock Dissenter, Day 19: Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences represents more than 85,000 researchers in 80 scholarly associations, 79 universities and colleges, and 6 affiliates. Its submission on Bill C-32’s digital lock rules provides a good illustration of the damage likely to be caused by the rules to research in […]

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October 31, 2011 1 comment News

Anti-Spam Law In Limbo As Lobby Groups Seek New Exceptions

Appeared on October 30, 2011 in the Toronto Star as Anti-Spam Law in Limbo as Groups Seek Exceptions Last December, the government celebrated passing eight bills into law, including the long-delayed anti-spam bill. Years after a national task force recommended enacting anti-spam legislation, the Canadian bill finally established strict rules […]

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October 31, 2011 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Ontario Privacy Commissioner Cavoukian on Lawful Access

Ontario Privacy Commission Ann Cavoukian has written an important op-ed adding her voice to the critics of lawful access plans, arguing that “lawful access” is a misleading term for a system of expanded surveillance.

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October 31, 2011 3 comments News

Why Lawful Access Legislation Should Not Be Allowed to Pass

David Fraser on why a recent revelation from UK provides yet further evidence that lawful access in its last form should not be allowed to pass.

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October 31, 2011 2 comments News