My regular Law Bytes column (free hyperlinked version; Toronto Star version, homepage version) reflects on a recent trip to China and the frustrations I encountered dealing with censorship of the Internet. Despite similar appearances with broadband access in my Beijing hotel, I found sites blocked, email downloads short-circuited, and Google searches cut off.
Columns
Intellectual Property’s Digital Divide
My weekly Law Bytes column (freely available hyperlinked version, Toronto Star version, homepage version) assesses the recent WIPO Development Agenda meeting, pointing to the need to bridge the divide between the United States and the Friends of Development coalition.
Tariff 22 Continues – SOCAN Seeks 25% Levy on iTunes
My regular Law Bytes column (non-registered version or Toronto Star version, homepage version) highlights the continuing saga of Tariff 22. SOCAN, a leading Canadian copyright collective, recently filed a revised application that targets all websites that communicate music to the public. The tariff proposal includes an astonishing 25 percent of gross revenue for music download services and 15 percent for webcasters. When combined with other tariff proposals, Canada's collectives are seeking at least 40 percent of gross revenues from music download services, representing a far greater threat to the business model than peer-to-peer file sharing.
The Three Stages of Canadian Privacy Law
My regular Law Bytes column (non-reg. hyperlinked version or Toronto Star version, homepage version) examines the development of Canadian privacy law, arguing that it is unfolding in three stages. The first stage focused on self-regulatory initiatives such as the CSA Model Code. When few companies were willing to bind themselves to the Code, Canada embarked on stage two by establishing national privacy legislation that emphasizes mediation and light regulation.
Copyright’s Convergence
My weekly Law Bytes column (Toronto Star version and non-reg hyperlinked version, homepage version) reflects on two major copyright events of the past ten days — last week's Grokster case and the recently announced Canadian copyright reforms. Of all the interesting anecdotes about the Grokster case, I found the fact that people began lining up at 2:30 p.m. the day before the hearing the most interesting. As I argue in the column, when people are willing to line up for nearly 24 hours to hear a copyright case, something far bigger than accessing free music is taking place.
Recent Posts
Canada’s DST Debacle a Case Study of Digital Strategy Trouble 
Canadian Government Caves on Digital Services Tax After Years of Dismissing the Risks of Trade Retaliation 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 238: David Fraser on Why Bill C-2’s Lawful Access Powers May Put Canadians’ Digital Security At Risk 
Ignoring the Warning Signs: Why Did the Canadian Government Dismiss the Trade Risks of a Digital Services Tax? 
Why Bill C-2 Faces a Likely Constitutional Challenge By Placing Solicitor-Client Privilege at Risk
