The Canadian government provided its first major briefing on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement this morning. There were attendees from all sides of the issue as well as an (unlisted) representative from the U.S. Embassy. The meeting started with a bang as Don Stephenson, an Assistant Deputy Minister at DFAIT, noted […]
Archive for April 6th, 2009
CIRA At The Crossroads
My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) picks up on a recent post that reflected on the growing commercial focus of CIRA, the dot-ca authority. I begin by noting that the ten-year anniversary of Government of Canada's letter to CIRA establishing the terms under which the new not-for-profit organization would manage the dot-ca domain name space passed last month without any notice. The Government articulated a vision of the dot-ca domain as a "key public resource" and called on CIRA to act in an open and transparent manner.
More than a million domain name registrations later, many Canadians take the dot-ca for granted. The system works and this bottoms-up creation – it was the (far smaller) Canadian Internet community that worked with the government to develop CIRA – is widely viewed as a success. CIRA has held multiple elections, hosted meetings from coast to coast, eased the prices and complexity of registering domain names, and generally worked to maintain public trust by treating its administration of the dot-ca as a public trust.
While there is much to celebrate, in recent months the organization has shown a troubling yet unmistakable shift toward prioritizing commercial gain over the public interest.
CIRA At a Crossroads
Appeared in the Toronto Star on April 6, 2009 as Dot.ca Turns 10, An Ideal Time for Public Review The ten-year anniversary of an important milestone in the history of the Internet in Canada passed last month without any notice. On March 11, 1999, the Government of Canada wrote to […]
France and South Korea Move Toward Three Strikes And You’re Out
Recent decisions to abandon a three strikes and you're out copyright model in New Zealand, the UK, and Germany, have not been replicated in two other countries. Last week, both France and South Korea moved toward implementing the approach in their national laws.
Privacy Commissioner Releases Essays on Deep Packet Inspection
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has released a terrific collection of essays on deep packet inspection, releasing a website that takes full advantage of various online collaborative tools.