Appeared in the Toronto Star on April 27, 2013 as Your Information is Not Secure in Ottawa As Canadians focused last week on the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and the RCMP arrests of two men accused of plotting to attack Via Rail, the largest sustained series of privacy […]
Articles by: Michael Geist
Copyright Board of Canada Admits to “Palpable Error” in Music Tariff Decision
The Copyright Board of Canada has released a decision in which it admits to palpable error that resulted in a hugely inflated tariff. The case involved a tariff for SODRAC for reproduction of music works in cinematographic works for private use of for theatrical exhibition. The Canadian Association of Film […]
Why Rejecting Mandatory Distribution Fits With the CRTC’s Interpretation of the Broadcasting Act
This week’s CRTC mandatory distribution hearing has placed the spotlight on a fascinating disconnect between the Commission and the Canadian broadcast community. Despite months of telegraphing its intent to promote consumer choice over broadcaster revenues, the first two days of the hearing have featured repeated presentations from groups who have not gotten the message. CRTC Chair Jean-Pierre Blais could not have been clearer in a speech last October:
In our decision, we noted that consumers increasingly expect to be in control of what they watch. It makes sense that consumers and the distributors who serve them should have more flexibility in packaging choices. While we acknowledged the value of predictable revenues to the programming services, we decided that the days of guaranteed wholesale rates are over. Programming services cannot expect to remain completely insulated from the growing demand for greater choice by Canadians.
He followed that up in March by telling the production community that it “will need to compete, just like any other sector.”
Despite the messaging, many of the groups seeking mandatory distribution evidently don’t get it.
Ethics Committee Releases Study on Privacy and Social Media
The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics has released its study on privacy and social media. The report includes recommendations for new Privacy Commissioner guidelines. The NDP supplemented those recommendations with nine additional legislative proposals that include mandatory security breach disclosure, order making power for the Privacy […]
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