Elsevier, which has faced enormous online protests over its support for the Research Works Act, has withdrawn its support for the U.S. bill.
Archive for February, 2012
Canadian Library Association Posts Its Technical Amendments to Bill C-11
The Canadian Library Association has posted its proposed technical amendments to Bill C-11. The CLA suggests two changes: one on alternative formats (it argues the bill is more restrictive than a proposed international treaty at WIPO) and one on digital locks. The digital lock proposal is one that should enjoy […]
Could ‘Lawful Access’ Jeopardize Canada’s Adequacy Status with EU?
Constantine Karbaliotis, Chief Privacy Officer Americas for Mercer, has an interesting blog post that raises the question of whether Bill C-30 might jeopardize Canada’s adequacy status with the European Union. The adequacy status, which confirms Canadian privacy meets the EU Data Protection Directive standard, was obtained with the enactment of […]
How to Fix Canada’s Online Surveillance Bill: A 12 Step To-Do List
- Evidence, Evidence, Evidence
- No Mandatory Warrantless Access to Subscriber Information
- Reporting Warrantless Disclosure of Subscriber Information
- Remove the Disclosure Gag Order
- “Voluntary” Warrantless Data Preservation and Production
- Government Installation of Surveillance Equipment
- Reconsider the Internet Provider Regulatory Framework
- Improve Lawful Access Oversight
- Limit the Law to Serious Crimes
- Come Clean on Costs
- The Missing Regulations
- Deal With The Failure of Privacy Laws To Keep Pace
Details on each follows:
Why Canada Does Not Belong on the U.S. Piracy Watchlist
While the Canadian government has consistently rejected the U.S. list because it “basically lacks reliable and objective analysis”, this year I teamed up with Public Knowledge to try to provide the U.S. Trade Representative Office with something a bit more reliable and objective. Public Knowledge will appear at a USTR hearing on Special 301 today. In addition, last week we participated in meetings at the U.S. Department of Commerce and USTR to defend current Canadian copyright law and the proposed reforms.
The full submission on Canadian copyright is available here. It focuses on four main issues: how Canadian law provides adequate and effective protection, how enforcement is stronger than often claimed, why Canada is not a piracy haven, and why Bill C-11 does not harm the interests of rights holders (critics of Bill C-11 digital lock rules will likely think this is self-evident). The section challenging the piracy haven claims states the following: