Articles by: Michael Geist

Lawful Access Sends Signal Canada Is Open for Big Brother Inc. Business

Appeared in the Toronto Star on February 26, 2012 as Bill C-30 Open Canada to Big Brother Inc. Business Privacy International, one of the world’s leading privacy organizations, last year released the results of a multi-year investigation into the shadowy world of the commercial surveillance industry. Dubbed “Big Brother Inc.”, […]

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March 2, 2012 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Searching for Compromise on Online Surveillance

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on February 20, 2012 as Why Governments Can’t Pass a Privacy Bill The introduction of Internet surveillance legislation last week generated an immediate storm of outrage. Fueled by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews’ comments that critics of the legislation were “siding with child pornographers,” the […]

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March 2, 2012 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

How the CRTC Helped to Put An End to Internet Throttling

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on February 13, 2012 as Putting an End to Internet Throttling Hockey may be Canada’s national pastime, but criticizing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) surely ranks as a close second. From the substitution of Canadian commercials during the Super Bowl broadcast to the […]

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March 2, 2012 1 comment Columns Archive

Assessing ACTA: My Appearance Before the European Parliament INTA Workshop on ACTA

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement has mushroomed into a massive political issue in Europe in recent weeks with protests in hundreds of cities across the continent. Much of the focus has been on whether the European Parliament will give its approval to the agreement. The focal point of attention within the EP has been on the INTA committee, which holds a public workshop on the issue today. Interest in the workshop has been incredible – there are apparently 800 registrants with thousands more expected to watch the live stream.

Several months ago, I was approached to write one of several reports for the ACTA workshop. The report will be made public in the next couple of weeks, but I’ll be on the workshop’s first panel (along with Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Professor Christophe Geiger) to discuss my report and the agreement. The panel starts at 9:15 ET. I only have ten minutes for opening remarks, so the comments target a few of the findings from the report. A transcript of my planned remarks is posted with EP permission below:

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March 1, 2012 9 comments Committees, News

IsoHunt Responds to CRIA’s Copyright Infringement Claims

IsoHunt has submitted its response to CRIA’s copyright infringement claims, arguing that it operates lawfully under Canadian law. The filing helps advance the long-delayed case and confirms yet again that the Canadian music industry legal position in court is that isoHunt is liable for millions in statutory damages under current […]

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March 1, 2012 1 comment News