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The World Intellectual Property Organization today agreed
to hold a diplomatic conference aimed at establishing an international
treaty aimed at facilitating access to published works for the visually
impaired. The conference, which is the final step toward a treaty, is
scheduled for June 2013 in Morocco. Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareTuesday December 18, 2012 |
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Several months ago in a speech to the Economic Club of Canada,
Industry Minister Christian Paradis promised to unveil a Canadian
digital economy strategy by the end of the year. Unless there is a
late December surprise, however, 2012 will end in the same manner as
every other year - with Canada as one of the only developed
economies without a clear plan for success in the online
environment.
The digital economy strategy file - dubbed the Penske file due to
years of "work" with no results - now stands an unequivocal failure.
Despite a public consultation on the issue and numerous models to
emulate, the government has puzzlingly been unable to develop a
coherent vision for Canada’s digital future.
The government could have pointed to any number of developments -
copyright reform, anti-spam legislation, research tax credit
changes, a pro-consumer approach at the Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission, the forthcoming spectrum auction,
and reversal of the hated Internet billing dispute - as evidence
that it has been active on the issue. Yet without a clear map for
the future, the efforts are understandably perceived to be a policy
mish-mash without a clear target.
How to fix the digital economy strategy mess in a fiscal environment
where there is little, if any, money available to pay for it?
My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) points to a tax-free digital economy strategy that would have six components.
Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareTuesday December 18, 2012 |
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Appeared in the Toronto Star on December 16, 2012 as The Tax-Free Six Step Approach to a Digital Economy Strategy
Several months ago in a speech to the Economic Club of Canada,
Industry Minister Christian Paradis promised to unveil a Canadian
digital economy strategy by the end of the year. Unless there is a
late December surprise, however, 2012 will end in the same manner as
every other year - with Canada as one of the only developed
economies without a clear plan for success in the online
environment.
The digital economy strategy file - dubbed the Penske file due to
years of "work" with no results - now stands an unequivocal failure.
Despite a public consultation on the issue and numerous models to
emulate, the government has puzzlingly been unable to develop a
coherent vision for Canada’s digital future.
The government could have pointed to any number of developments -
copyright reform, anti-spam legislation, research tax credit
changes, a pro-consumer approach at the Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission, the forthcoming spectrum auction,
and reversal of the hated Internet billing dispute - as evidence
that it has been active on the issue. Yet without a clear map for
the future, the efforts are understandably perceived to be a policy
mish-mash without a clear target.
How to fix the digital economy strategy mess in a fiscal environment
where there is little, if any, money available to pay for it?
My tax-free digital economy strategy would have six components.
First, a Canadian digital economy strategy needs a single,
compelling objective. The obvious choice would be universal,
affordable access to computers and high-speed Internet access by
2015. The government need not foot the entire bill. Rather, it
could bring together the private sector along with provincial
governments to establish a program with private sector commitments
for inexpensive access and computing equipment for low-income
Canadians.
Second, the government must finish what it started on the
legislative front. Anti-spam legislation received royal assent in
2010, but it has still not taken effect as Industry Canada has
delayed introducing the necessary regulations for the past year and
a half. Similarly, Bill C-12, a privacy reform bill that
addresses recommendations dating back to 2006 has languished in the
House of Commons. The government should put these initiatives back
on the agenda with a commitment to having the laws operational
within six months.
Third, foreign investment restrictions in both the
telecommunications and broadcasting sectors should be dropped in an
effort to foster a more competitive marketplace. The potential entry
of new deep-pocketed competitors within the Canadian economy will
serve consumers well and force the incumbents to compete more
aggressively.
Fourth, the existing multi-billion dollar public expenditures on
research and cultural subsidies should be used to promote greater
openness and digital access. Many countries have adopted mandatory
open access policies for taxpayer-funded research, an approach that
leverages research investment by making the results more readily
accessible to businesses and the general public. Moreover, cultural
subsidies in areas such as book publishing should be linked more
directly to ensuring access to electronic versions of publications
in local libraries.
Fifth, the government should replicate its public interest,
consumer-focused model now found at the CRTC at similarly placed
administrative agencies and tribunals. The Copyright Board of
Canada, which has developed a reputation for being inaccessible to
all but a few copyright collectives and industry stakeholders,
should be re-examined and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada should
be given the enforcement tools necessary to fulfill her mandate.
Sixth, there should be a commitment to allocate a portion of the
proceeds from the forthcoming spectrum auction toward digital
economy issues. Many Canadians need access to digital training or
literacy skills. Programs funded through the billions generated by
the auction would better position Canadian workers in the digital
economy, while ensuring that taxpayers are not hit with the bill. Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Newsfeeder, Reddit, StumbleUpon, TwitterTagsShareTuesday December 18, 2012 |
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