Archive for June 25th, 2010

Justin Trudeau on Moore’s Radical Extremist Comment

Liberal MP Justin Trudeau responds to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore on Twitter: "Wow. Apparently I might be a "radical extremist" because I have questions about a gvt bill. I thought that was called 'doing my job.'"

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June 25, 2010 10 comments News

Appropriation Art on C-32: Needs Amendments

Appropriation Art, an artists group that represents hundreds of artists and galleries, has issued its response to C-32, criticizing the restrictive digital lock provisions and the failure to adopt a full flexible fair dealing provision.

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June 25, 2010 1 comment News

ACTA Communique Generates Wide Support

With the ACTA talks scheduled to resume next week, a communique arising from last week's meeting in Washington has generated very broad support with hundreds of individuals and organizations signing on and the media covering the story.

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June 25, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

More Media Coverage of Moore’s Radical Extremist Comment

The media picked up on Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore's "radical extremists" comment yesterday with the following stories: IT Business: Moore Calls Copyright Critics "Radical Extremists" Hollywood Reporter: Canadian copyright reform debate turns nasty Exclaim!: Canadian Heritage Minister Calls Copyright Bill Critics “Radical Extremists”; NDP’s Charlie Angus Fires Back Globe […]

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June 25, 2010 71 comments News

Unlocked iPhones Could Herald True Mobility

Apple began selling the latest version of its iPhone this week in the United States and while the device will not be sold in Canada until mid-July, Canadians will be among the few that will have the opportunity to purchase it "unlocked" so that it is not tied to any specific wireless carrier.  The unlocked versions will come at a premium price, but in return consumers will be able to avoid the long-term contracts that have typified the Canadian wireless marketplace for many years.

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes the issue of locked cellphones has long been a source of consumer fear and frustration since some wondered whether unlocking phones that were rendered unusable when switching wireless providers was legal. In certain respects, this was an odd question to even have to ask. No one would ever question whether consumers have the right to tinker with their car or to use the same television if they switch providers from cable to satellite, yet the wireless industry somehow convinced the public that unlocking their phones – consumers' own property – was wrong.

That perception is rapidly changing with several developments paving the way for an unlocked iPhone. 

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June 25, 2010 24 comments Columns