Archive for October 1st, 2007

Poll Finds Canadians Strongly Support Net Neutrality Legislation

A new poll by Leger Marketing (commissioned by eBay) finds that Canadians are generally unware of net neutrality issues, yet strongly support the principles that provide the foundation for net neutrality legislation.  In particular, the survey found that: three in five Canadians concur that ISPs should be required to treat […]

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October 1, 2007 18 comments News

Poll Finds Canadians Strongly Support Net Neutrality Legislation

A new poll by Leger Marketing (commissioned by eBay) finds that Canadians are generally unware of net neutrality issues, yet strongly support the principles that provide the foundation for net neutrality legislation.  In particular, the survey found that: three in five Canadians concur that ISPs should be required to treat […]

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October 1, 2007 Comments are Disabled Neutrality

Privacy Threats No Longer ‘Terra Incognita’

Appeared in the Toronto Star on October 1, 2007 as Privacy Threats Are No Longer 'Terra Incognita' Last week the privacy world gathered in Montreal for the most important global privacy conference on the calendar. The International Data Protection and Privacy Commissioner's conference brings together hundreds of privacy commissioners, government […]

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October 1, 2007 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Navigating Canada’s Copyright Conflicts

The Hill Times runs a special op-ed (HT version (sub required), homepage version) I've written on the political challenges the government faces on copyright reform.  I note that in a sure sign of an impending throne speech, copyright lobby groups are out in full force calling on the government to prioritize intellectual property protection in its fall legislative agenda.  Despite efforts to put forward a united front, however, what is readily apparent to those close to the process is that copyright reform is rife with conflicts that create a significant political risk and require the expenditure of enormous political capital.

The recent revelations about a potential conflict of interest within the Canadian Heritage Copyright Policy Branch are certainly the most obvious manifestation of conflict concerns. Although perceived conflict issues in this area are nothing new, the existence of a personal relationship between the government’s head of copyright policy and Hollywood's top Canadian lobbyist at a time when the government is pursuing a copyright reform bill raises uncomfortable questions about who knew what and when within Canadian Heritage.

Yet focusing exclusively on this form of conflict would be a mistake, since conflicted agendas, policies, and stakeholders present a more treacherous minefield.  These include:

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October 1, 2007 2 comments Columns