IT Business reports that the Saskatchewan government has announced a plan to create what it called the country's largest wireless Internet network, which will allow the province's four largest cities' residents and visitors to access free-of-charge Wi-Fi in the downtown core and post-secondary institutions.
Archive for April, 2007
The WSJ on Big Box Retail of Music
The WSJ assesses the distribution of recorded music, noting that Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy exert enormous control and are starting to de-emphasize music.
Lawsuits Put Online Free Speech At Risk
Appeared in the Toronto Star on April 30, 2007 as Lawsuits Put Online Free Speech At Risk Despite garnering only limited media attention, two recently filed defamation lawsuits in British Columbia have the potential to reshape free speech on the Internet in Canada. The suits pit Wayne Crookes, a B.C.-based […]
Counterfeiting at the Public Safety and National Security Committee
Last month I posted a very critical entry on a Public Safety and National Security Committee hearing on counterfeiting featuring the Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network, and the CRIA. I concluded by stating that "the MPs on the committee were there to be educated about the issue and received one perspective. The danger lies in only receiving a single perspective and then proceeding to deliver a report effectively crafted by the anti-counterfeiting lobby. If the committee is serious about advancing the policy – rather than the view of a select lobby – it will expand the hearings to include further perspectives that extend beyond simple soundbites that 'counterfeiting can kill.'"
To the great credit of the MPs on the committee, someone saw the posting and invited me to appear to discuss my perspective on counterfeiting. I appeared yesterday morning and I thought that the 90 minute session (which also included Paul Hoffert and Bob Sotiriadis) resulted in an engaging discussion. Several committee members acknowledged that I provided a different take on the issue, which enabled the debate to focus on the genuine health and safety risks as well as consideration of the effectiveness of current Canadian law.
The full transcript should be available next week but in the meantime my prepared remarks are posted below.
Recent Posts
Debating the Online Harms Act: Insights from Two Recent Panels on Bill C-63 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 199: Boris Bytensky on the Criminal Code Reforms in the Online Harms Act 
AI Spending is Not an AI Strategy: Why the Government’s Artificial Intelligence Plan Avoids the Hard Governance Questions 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 198: Richard Moon on the Return of the Section 13 Hate Speech Provision in the Online Harms Act 
Tweets Are Not Enough: Why Combatting Relentless Antisemitism in Canada Requires Real Leadership and Action
