Articles by: Michael Geist

How C-11 Will Affect Users of Digital Content

CBC.ca features an excellent article that examines the impact of Bill C-11 on a wide range of digital issues.

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October 3, 2011 3 comments News

Why Canada’s New Copyright Bill Remains Flawed

Appeared on October 2, 2011 in the Toronto Star as Why Canada’s New Copyright Bill Remains Flawed Last week, the government tabled Bill C-11, the latest attempt to reform Canadian copyright law. The bill mirrors its previous copyright bill and is expected to sail through the House of Commons with […]

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October 1, 2011 1 comment Columns Archive

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore’s Missing Copyright Tweets

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore was busy on Twitter yesterday, pointing to many groups expressing support for Bill C-11, the new copyright bill. While he omitted pointing to releases from students (“anti-circumvention provisions will seriously undermine students’, teachers’ and the general public’s use of copyrighted works.”) and librarians (“legislation which does not include the right to bypass digital locks for non-infringing purposes is fundamentally flawed”), it is interesting to look at some of the organizations he did cite.

For example, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind is quoted as saying “this copyright legislation ensures Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have opportunities to participate in life.” What did the CNIB tell the Bill C-32 legislative committee in its brief?

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September 30, 2011 35 comments News

Liberals on the Copyright Bill: Digital Lock Rules Driven By U.S.

The Liberal release on Bill C-11, the new copyright bill, includes the following comments from MP Scott Simms: “Recent disclosures of diplomatic cables show that parts of the Conservative copyright plan were drafted to satisfy industry in the United States rather than the best interests of Canadians. In particular, the […]

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September 29, 2011 9 comments News

Canada May [Not] Be Signing ACTA This Weekend – UPDATED

Contrary to reports that Canada will be signing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement this weekend, that may not be the case.  I asked the Department of Foreign Affairs for an update and received the following statement: Canada has demonstrated our commitment to working with the international community to develop effective tools […]

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September 29, 2011 7 comments News