Canadian musician Jane Siberry captures the attention of the enormously popular Freakonomics blog, garnering some kind words about her pay-as-you-like approach to music downloads.
Articles by: Michael Geist
Spam Not Gone, But Increasingly Forgotten
My weekly Law Bytes column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) takes stock of the battle against spam one year after Canada’s National Task Force on Spam submitted its report. The column notes that while filtering has become more effective, first impressions can be deceiving. Global spam volume continues to increase, with recent surveys indicating that 80 percent of all e-mail is now spam. Spam has also become far more dangerous as many messages secretly contain viruses or other hidden programs that can unwittingly turn ordinary Internet users with broadband connections into large-scale spammers.
Unfortunately the Canadian legal framework has failed to keep pace with the new spam-related concerns.
Barenaked Guide to Copyright Reform
Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies offers up his guide to copyright reform in a National Post op-ed today. Noting that the "products of the mind" for which the record labels claim to seek protection are the products of artists' minds, Page outlines the three principles articulated by the CMCC, […]
Spam Not Gone But Increasingly Forgotten
Appeared in the Toronto Star on May 1, 2006 as Spam Not Gone, But Increasingly Forgotten One year ago, Canada’s National Task Force on Spam presented then-Industry Minister David Emerson with its report on how Ottawa could assist in the fight against spam (I was a member of the Task […]
Copyright Petition Presented to the House of Commons
Lost amid the coverage of the creation of the Canadian Music Creators Coalition, was the presentation of a copyright petition this week before the House of Commmons. James Rajotte, a Conservative MP from Alberta and rumoured chair of the Industry Committee, presented the petition with the following comments: "Mr. Speaker, […]
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The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 232: What Will Canadian Digital Policy Look Like Under the New Liberal Carney Government? 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 231: Sara Bannerman on How Canadian Political Parties Maximize Voter Data Collection and Minimize Privacy Safeguards 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 230: Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 229: My Digital Access Day Keynote – Assessing the Canadian Digital Policy Record 
Queen’s University Trustees Reject Divestment Efforts Emphasizing the Importance of Institutional Neutrality
