Earlier this week, I joined Jesse Brown for an online discussion on the Trans Pacific Partnership. The event, which was hosted by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, focused on the free speech implications from the deal, particularly in light of the copyright and privacy provisions. Moreover, we spent some time […]
News
Canada Facilitated NSA’s Effort To Weaken Encryption Standards
The NY Times reports that Canada played a notable role in assisting the NSA to weaken encryption standards. The Times reports: internal memos leaked by a former N.S.A. contractor, Edward Snowden, suggest that the N.S.A. generated one of the random number generators used in a 2006 N.I.S.T. standard – called […]
A Festivus Miracle: Industry Minister James Moore Hosts Roundtable on Anti-Spam Law
For the past two years, I have been describing the government’s long-missing digital economy strategy as the Penske File, a Seinfeld reference to a non-existent work project. The government’s Seinfeldian approach to digital policies continued yesterday, with Industry Minister James Moore hosting a Festivus-like event on Canada’s anti-spam legislation. The anti-spam law was passed in 2010, but intense lobbying has delayed approval of the final regulations that are needed to bring the law into effect.
The by-invitation roundtable featured most of the business associations that have criticized the legislation along with several consumer/public interest representatives. Consistent with the Seinfeld episode on Festivus, the 90-minute event opened with the airing of grievances, providing the critics with an opportunity to deliver their concerns directly to the Minister. The consumer and public interest representatives spoke in favour of the legislation and of the need for the government to move quickly to finalize the regulations. While the government’s plans remain to be seen, Moore is clearly engaged on the issue and, given that the law was passed years ago, will hopefully demonstrate a feat of strength by bringing it into effect.
A draft of my comments (which were changed slightly in delivery) are posted below.
The Copyright Pentalogy Conference – Free Registration Now Open
Registration for the conference on the Copyright Pentalogy: How the Supreme Court of Canada Shook the Foundations of Canadian Copyright Law is now open. The conference is scheduled for Friday, October 4th from 12:30 to 5:30 with a reception to follow. There is no cost for the conference, but advance registration is appreciated. Speakers include Carys Craig, Paul Daly, Jeremy deBeer, Greg Hagen, Elizabeth Judge, Ariel Katz, Teresa Scassa, Sam Trosow, and Margaret Ann Wilkinson.
Verizon Says No To Canada: What Comes Next
With Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam stating yesterday that “Verizon is not going to Canada”, the government’s best hope for “more choice, lower prices, better service” may have been lost. The mere possibility of a Verizon entry into Canada sparked a massive lobbying campaign by the incumbent carriers, who used every […]
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