My weekly Law Bytes column (freely available hyperlinked version, Toronto Star version, homepage version) assesses the recent WIPO Development Agenda meeting, pointing to the need to bridge the divide between the United States and the Friends of Development coalition.
Archive for 2005
We Can Help Bridge the Digital Divide
Earlier this month, the World Intellectual Property Organization hosted groundbreaking discussions in Geneva. The U.N. agency, which for years has been associated with ever-increasing intellectual property protections for the developed world, held talks about initiating a new intellectual property development agenda that holds the potential to shift some of its […]
Tariff 22 Continues – SOCAN Seeks 25% Levy on iTunes
My regular Law Bytes column (non-registered version or Toronto Star version, homepage version) highlights the continuing saga of Tariff 22. SOCAN, a leading Canadian copyright collective, recently filed a revised application that targets all websites that communicate music to the public. The tariff proposal includes an astonishing 25 percent of gross revenue for music download services and 15 percent for webcasters. When combined with other tariff proposals, Canada's collectives are seeking at least 40 percent of gross revenues from music download services, representing a far greater threat to the business model than peer-to-peer file sharing.
As It Happens – RIM Patent Battle
As It Happens – RIM Patent Battle, Professor Geist discusses the Canadian government’s decision to intervene in the RIM patent battle in the United States.
The Real Threat to the Music Download Market
The Canadian Recording Industry Association’s (CRIA) legal campaign against music file sharing heads back to court later this week. A three judge panel will hear an appeal of last spring’s decision that denied a request for identifying information on 29 alleged file sharers due to insufficient evidence, privacy concerns, and […]
Recent Posts
The Lawful Access Privacy Risks: Unpacking Bill C-22’s Expansive Metadata Retention Requirements 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 261: Ian Goldberg on the Privacy Risks of Age Assurance Technologies 
Government Enacts Political Party Anti-Privacy Rules With Bill C-4 Royal Assent Sprint 
A Tale of Two Bills: Lawful Access Returns With Changes to Warrantless Access But Dangerous Backdoor Surveillance Risks Remain 
Words Are Not Enough: Countering Relentless Antisemitic Violence in Canada With Action
