Last week, I delivered a keynote address on copyright issues at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The talk focused on the activism around SOPA and assessed the global strategies employed by the U.S. and copyright lobby groups of shifting away from WIPO toward closed negotiations such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
Video
Whither WIPO: Will WIPO Wither?
Last week I appeared on a panel on the Internet and intellectual property at the Canadian Council on International Law annual conference in Ottawa. My talk – Whither WIPO: Will WIPO Wither? – focused on the shift away from WIPO as a forum for international IP developments.
Why Copyright Reform Is Not the Cure for What Ails the Music Industry
This weekend, I was pleased to deliver a keynote address at the Nova Scotia Music Week conference. While groups like CRIA (Music Canada) position themselves as industry-wide representatives, discussions with many in the industry in Nova Scotia revealed considerable disagreement. My talk – Why Copyright Reform Is Not the Cure for What Ails the Music Industry – focused on CRIA’s conventional talking points and assessed Bill C-11 provisions on statutory damages, ISP liability, the enabler provision, and digital locks. See this post for links to the supporting documents, additional articles and sources on each issue.
Canada’s National Digital Strategy: Hidden in Plain Sight
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of delivering a keynote address at the Cybera Summit in Banff, Alberta. The conference focused on a wide range of cutting edge technology and network issues. My opening keynote discussed Canada digital economy legal strategy. While the formal digital strategy has yet to be revealed, I argued that the digital economy legal strategy is largely set with legislative plans touching on lawful access, privacy, online marketing, and copyright.
Youtube Cybera: Michael Geist Cybera Summit 2011
In this talk, I discussed the current legislative stance on digital surveillance rules and privacy rules in Canada.
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