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Telecom Policy Review Panel Calls For Net Neutrality Legal Safeguards

The Telecommunications Policy Review Panel report was released earlier this afternoon and while the immediate reaction will no doubt focus on the recommendations for a market-oriented approach with significant changes to the CRTC, I would call attention to three other recommendations gleaned from reading the executive summary (the full document is nearly 400 pages). 

First, the Panel has called for a new legislative provision protecting net neutrality standards.  The panel calls this an open access provision, with Recommendation 6-5 stating that:

"The Telecommunications Act should be amended to confirm the right of Canadian consumers to access publicly available Internet applications and content of their choice by means of all public telecommunications networks providing access to the Internet. This amendment should

(a) authorize the CRTC to administer and enforce these consumer access rights,
(b) take into account any reasonable technical constraints and efficiency considerations related to providing such access, and
(c) be subject to legal constraints on such access, such as those established in criminal, copyright and broadcasting laws."

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March 22, 2006 Comments are Disabled News

PM Harper’s Mentor Speaks Out on WIPO

Amid the attention being given to the CRIA/Pollara survey and the CATO report on the dangers of the DMCA, I nearly overlooked an important op-ed from Professor Tom Flanagan, a hugely influential political scientist widely described as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's political mentor.  Professor Flanagan's article, co-authored with Gemma Collins, […]

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March 22, 2006 5 comments News

“Impertinent and Presumptuous”

Pollara, the company that has conducted several surveys on behalf of CRIA (including the CRTC submission), has posted a lengthy 11 page response to my original blog posting (a comment brought the response to my attention as I was unaware of it until this evening).  Pollara suggests that my statements […]

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March 21, 2006 14 comments News

The DMCA is Anti-Competitive

So says the CATO Institute, a noted free market, limited government, U.S. think tank. I provided a Canadian perspective on the competitive effects of anti-circumvention legislation in my contribution to the In the Public Interest book. (Thanks Howard!).

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March 21, 2006 Comments are Disabled News

EU To Conduct Full Review of Copyright Directive

News from Europe this morning that the EU is planning a full review of its copyright directive.  The review was to have focused on implementation in member states but now will be a broader evaluation of the directive itself.  In further good news, Professor Bernt Hugenholtz will lead the review.  […]

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March 21, 2006 Comments are Disabled News