The Internet battle against SOPA and PIPA generated huge
interest in Canada with many Canadians turning their sites dark
(including Blogging Tories, Project Gutenberg Canada, and CIPPIC) in
support of the protest. In writing about the link between SOPA and
Canada, I noted
that the proposed legislation featured an aggressive jurisdictional
approach that could target Canadian websites. Moreover, I argued that
the same lobby groups promoting SOPA in the U.S. are behind the digital
lock rules in Bill C-11.
While SOPA may be dead (for now) in the U.S., lobby groups are likely
to intensify their efforts to export SOPA-like rules to other
countries. With Bill C-11 back on the legislative agenda at the end of
the month, Canada will be a prime target for SOPA style rules. In fact,
a close review of the unpublished submissions to the Bill C-32
legislative committee reveals that several groups have laid the
groundwork to add SOPA-like rules into Bill C-11, including blocking
websites and expanding the "enabler provision"to target a wider range
of websites. Given the reaction to SOPA in the U.S., where
millions contacted their elected representatives to object to rules
that threatened their Internet and digital rights, the political risks
inherent in embracing SOPA-like rules are significant. [UPDATE: I have
a second
post that examines how the proposed changes could be used to target
Youtube]
The music industry is unsurprisingly leading the way, demanding
a
series of changes that would make Bill C-11 look much more like SOPA.
Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareMonday January 23, 2012 |
|
View
|
|
|
Talking Points Memo has a great behind-the-scenes
look at the key developments in the demise of SOPA and PIPA.
Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareMonday January 23, 2012 |
|
|
CBC's Spark has a 30
minute podcast interview
with Cory Doctorow that expands on his war on general computing essay
with considerable discussion on Bill C-11 and digital locks.
Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareMonday January 23, 2012 |
|
|
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Catalina Botero Marino, and the
United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and
Expression, Frank La Rue, have called
on the United States to be vigorous in protecting freedom of speech on
the Internet. The call comes in reaction to SOPA and PIPA.
Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareMonday January 23, 2012 |
|
|
Outgoing CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein granted
interviews to several media
outlets, calling for new legislation and a commitment to a national
digital strategy.
Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareMonday January 23, 2012 |
|
|
