My weekly Law Bytes column (freely available hyperlinked version, Toronto Star version) summarizes the key points in my submission to Canada’s Telecommunications Policy Review. The submission should be posted online within the next day or two [update: the submission is now online]. I argue that three principles should govern the […]
Latest Posts
Under Pressure
Readers of this blog may recall my June response to Graham Henderson of CRIA, who wrote a letter to the editor in which he suggested that I have a "vendetta against the recording industry" and exhibit an attack dog mentality. The Ryerson Review of Journalism has just published an article […]
Canadian iPod Purchasers to Receive Levy Refund
Apple Computer today announced that it plans to offer Canadians who purchased iPods subject to the private copying levy a refund of the levy portion of the purchase price (typically $25 per iPod). No word yet on how they plan to do this, but reports suggest that $4 million in […]
The Failure of Canada’s Private Copying System
Following on CRIA's pledge not to sue consumers who copy their CDs onto iPods or computer hard drives, my regular Law Bytes column (freely available hyperlinked version, Toronto Star version) reflects on the recent decision by the Canadian Supreme Court to let stand a ruling that upheld the legality of […]
The CRIA Pledge
Today's Sunday Star contains an important letter to the editor from Graham Henderson, President of the Canadian Recording Industry Association. Responding to concern that the exculsion of the iPod from the private copying system would lead to liability for Canadians who copy their own CDs to their iPods, Henderson pledges […]


Michael Geist on Substack
Recent Posts
Privacy as a Fundamental Right? The Government’s Terrible Privacy Track Record Suggests Virtue Signalling Over a Genuine Commitment
Taking Stock of Bill C-34: Five Things to Know About the Government’s Plan for a Kids’ Social Media Ban, Mandated Age Verification, and AI Chatbot Rules
The Exemption Illusion: Why the Government’s Plan to Fast Track Bill C-34’s Kids’ Social Media Ban Means No Standards, No Privacy Review, and No Enforcement
Unpacking Bill C-34: My Appearance on the Globe and Mail’s The Decibel Podcast
Liberal MP: Lawful Access “Has Nothing to Do With the Privacy of People and Their Information”
