News

ACTA Issues Heats Up in Denmark

Last week's revelation that Denmark is one of the countries blocking ACTA transparency has stirred up media attention in that country.  The issue was covered by the national broadcaster and in the press.

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March 2, 2010 1 comment News

New Zealand Launches ACTA Consultation

The New Zealand government has launched a new ACTA consultation, seeking feedback on the Internet enforcement chapter.  The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2010.

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March 2, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

Major ACTA Leak: Internet and Civil Enforcement Chapters With Country Positions

On the heels of the leak of various country positions on ACTA transparency, today an even bigger leak has hit the Internet.  A new European Union document prepared several weeks ago canvasses the Internet and Civil Enforcement chapters, disclosing in complete detail the proposals from the U.S., the counter-proposals from the EU, Japan, and other ACTA participants.  The 44-page document also highlights specific concerns of individual countries on a wide range of issues including ISP liability, anti-circumvention rules, and the scope of the treaty.  This is probably the most significant leak to-date since it goes even beyond the transparency debate by including specific country positions and proposals.

The document highlights significant disagreement on a range of issues.  For example, on the issue of anti-circumvention legislation and access controls, the U.S. wants it included per the DCMA, but many other countries, including the EU, Japan, and New Zealand do not, noting that the WIPO Internet treaties do not require it.

A brief summary of the key findings are posted below, but much more study is needed.

Internet Enforcement Chapter

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March 1, 2010 40 comments News

Globe on Benkler Study and Upcoming Keynote at U of Ottawa

The Globe and Mail covers Friday's University of Ottawa's Centre for Law, Technology and Ethics launch conference.  The event includes a keynote from Harvard Law School's Yochai Benkler, the author of a recent FCC-commissioned study on broadband networks worldwide.  Benkler's conclusions on Canada have generated considerable discussion and should be […]

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March 1, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

Speech from the Throne Coming This Week

The National Post's John Ivison offers his predictions for this week's Speech from the Throne, including copyright and patent reform as well as phased liberalization of the foreign investment rules on telecoms and broadcasting.

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March 1, 2010 Comments are Disabled News