The Supreme Court of Canada has granted leave to appeal in the Fearon case, which involved an Ontario Court of Appeal decision permitting a police search of a cellphone that was not password protected or locked during the course of an arrest. I referenced the case in a brief post […]
Articles by: Michael Geist
Japan Considering Copyright Term Extension, Canada Next?
The Japanese government is reportedly considering extending its term of copyright protection from the international standard of life plus 50 years to life plus 70 years as required by drafts of the Trans Pacific Partnership. The issue seems likely to similarly arise in Canada, which also maintains a life plus […]
Verizon Entry to Canada Could Spark Shift Toward Single North American Communications Market
Reports that U.S. telecom giant Verizon may be preparing to enter the Canadian market has sparked considerable speculation on the likely impact of a company with a market cap greater than Bell, Rogers, and Telus combined. While much of the discussion has centered on wireless pricing, my weekly technology column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) argues that the more significant development may be the shift toward a single North American communications market.
Canada and the U.S. share much of the same communications infrastructure – the same North American numbering plan (calling codes), closely aligned spectrum policies, and easy access to broadcast signals along the border – yet for decades the two systems have been separated through regulation. Foreign ownership restrictions, Canadian content requirements, and simultaneous substitution policies (which lead to the annual complaints about missing U.S. commercials during the Super Bowl) have all ensured that the two markets remain distinct.
In recent years, new technologies have slowly chipped away at the communications divide.
Verizon Entry to Canada Could Spark Shift Toward Single North American Communications Market
Appeared in the Toronto Star on July 7, 2013 as Verizon in Canada Could Spark Shift To Single North American Communications Market Reports that U.S. telecom giant Verizon may be preparing to enter the Canadian market has sparked considerable speculation on the likely impact of a company with a market […]
Ontario Government Emphasizes User Rights in its Copyright Policy for Education
The Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Education has issued a policy memorandum to all provincial elementary and secondary schools regarding the use of copyright-protected works for education. The government’s approach, which takes effect immediately, represents a strong endorsement of users’ rights, citing not only fair dealing but over a dozen additional educational exceptions that are now part of Canadian copyright law.
The government adopts fair dealing guidelines developed by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, which largely covers the same copying permitted under an Access Copyright licence. The guidelines, which permit copying of up to 10 percent of a work, a single article, or a chapter from a book, state:
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