Must Reads

• Poland Suspends ACTA Ratification

  Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced the country is suspending its ratification of the Anti-Counterfeitint Trade Agreement. The announcement comes following huge protests in cities across the country. Feb.03/12Comments (0)

• "Why I Signed ACTA"

  Slovenia's Ambassador to Japan offers a full explanation for why she signed ACTA:
  
  I signed ACTA out of civic carelessness, because I did not pay enough attention. Quite simply, I did not clearly connect the agreement I had been instructed to sign with the agreement that, according to my own civic conviction, limits and withholds the freedom of engagement on the largest and most significant network in human history, and thus limits particularly the future of our children. Feb.03/12Comments (0)

• The Academic Spring

  The Economist reports on the growing boycott of Elsevier by thousands of academics over open access issues. Feb.03/12Comments (0)

• Transport Canada Issues DMCA Takedown Over On-the-Record Response

  Transport Canada has reportedly issued a DMCA takedown notice to Scribd over an on-the-record response it provided to a journalist. The move is particularly odd (though not unprecedented, see here and here) given the document was issued to a journalist and the government changed its crown copyright licence last year to allow for private and non-commercial public use without the need for further permission. Feb.02/12Comments (0)

• "Piracy is the New Radio"

  Canadian superstar Neil Young on piracy:
  
  It doesn't affect me because I look at the internet as the new radio. I look at the radio as gone. [...] Piracy is the new radio. That's how music gets around. [...] That's the radio. If you really want to hear it, let's make it available, let them hear it, let them hear the 95 percent of it. Feb.02/12Comments (2)

• Katz on the Access Copyright Deal

  Ariel Katz adds his voice to the criticisms from Howard Knopf and Sam Trosow on the recent agreement between Access Copyright and two Ontario universities. Feb.02/12Comments (0)

• MEP Says ACTA Goes Too Far

  The Guardian features an exclusive interview with Kader Arif, the lead ACTA negotiator in the European Parliament who quit his position over objections that review process is a charade. Feb.02/12Comments (0)

• Beware of Surveillance By Design

  The video from Ontario Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian's excellent forum on lawful access is now available. Well worth watching. Feb.01/12Comments (1)

• CRTC Releases Net Neutrality Complaints Data

  The CRTC yesterday released new net neutrality complaints data. The data shows a significant increase in the number of complaints in the last quarter of 2011 when compared with the prior two years. I wrote about the complaints issue in July 2011 based on data obtained under the Access to Information Act. Feb.01/12Comments (1)

• European Opposition to ACTA Continues to Mount

  European opposition to ACTA continues to mount with Poland's culture minister admitting that it may not be approved by the Polish parliament and the Slovenian ambassador to Japan apologizing for signing ACTA last week. Feb.01/12Comments (1)