A spokesperson for International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan has confirmed yet again the Canadian position on ACTA: "Canada supports the release of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement text at the earliest possible opportunity. Canada cannot release the negotiating text until there is consensus to do so among the [ACTA] partners." Mar.17/10Comments (3)
The Canadian Federation of Students has issued a release expressing its support for NDP MP Charlie Angus' motion on flexible fair dealing. Mar.17/10Comments (0)
Yesterday I appeared on CBC Radio's Q to debate the issue of Amazon and its plan to establish a distribution centre in Canada. A podcast of the debate is now online (first segment). Mar.17/10Comments (0)
Industry Minister Tony Clement has reversed on the cuts to the Community Access Program. Clement told a press scrum this afternoon that it was a funding envelope misunderstanding. Mar.16/10Comments (3)
Billboard reports that NDP MP Charlie Angus plans to introduce a private member's bill that would extend the private copying levy to MP3 players. Mar.15/10Comments (11)
FCC Chair Julius Genachowksi has a strongly worded op-ed on a U.S. broadband strategy that is scheduled to be unveiled on Tuesday. Mar.15/10Comments (0)
There has been a lot of activity on the UK Digital Economy bill in recent days including a leaked recording industry lobby document outlining its efforts to push the bill through and news that the Lib Dems plan to oppose the disconnection and web censorship provisions. Mar.15/10Comments (1)
Heesob Nam reviews the South Korean experience with three strikes legislation that has been in place since July 2009. The government reports thousands of initial notices that have been passed along by ISPs. There have been no instances of using the subscriber termination power. Mar.12/10Comments (0)
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement made it to the floor of the House of Commons yesterday as NDP MP Charlie Angus raised concerns about the agreement, the lack of transparency, and questions about whether the recent copyright consultation was little more than theatre given the prospect that ACTA will decide what Canadian copyright law ultimately looks like.
Industry Minister Tony Clement responded by arguing that the ACTA is not law in Canada, stating that it is "subservient" to domestic law. While that is true for the moment, once it is completed the pressure to implement - much like the WIPO Internet treaties - will be enormous. Clement also stated that people interested in the treaty could check out my website to learn more. While I appreciate the shout-out, it should be obvious to everyone that this website is not a replacement for full and frank disclosure on ACTA and the Canadian government's position on the treaty. A full Hansard transcript of the exchange, along with the YouTube version, follows below:
Oxfam has expressed concern about the impact of ACTA on poor countries and people. It rightly fears that the treaty could make it more difficult for the poor to access generic medicines.
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has released a major new report on net neutrality. Staying Neutral: Canadian Consumers and the Fight for Net Neutrality, canvasses recent decisions and makes recommendations for future actions. It arises from six focus groups conducted in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
Facing an advertising lawsuit of its own, Rogers has filed suit against Bell over its wireless advertising claims. Rogers notes that Bell has virtually no customers on its new network and cannot substantiate reliability claims.
