Michael Geist

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Responding to ACTRA: Group Calls C-32 a “Disaster” and Proposes Six Part Fix

ACTRA completed a two-day lobbying blitz in Ottawa yesterday, bringing some Canadian television stars to convince MPs that Bill C-32 is a disaster that is bad for consumers and creators. While ACTRA isn’t proposing anything to solve the consumer problems, it is promoting six changes to Bill C-32. I review each proposal below, but it is first worth watching an interview on CTV with ACTRA’s Ferne Downey and Corner Gas’ Eric Peterson. Downey makes the startling comment that she is not a proponent of free market theory that users will pay for the content they like. Meanwhile, Peterson, who starred on a show that aired on free, over-the-air television without any levy but supported through commercials, now claims that “free” will eliminate the creation of new Canadian content.

As for the ACTRA proposals, each is posted below along with some of my comments:

November 17, 2010 — 27 comments — News

The Globe on How C-32 Will Affect Canadian Culture

The Globe’s Time to Lead series looks at how Bill C-32 will affect Canadian culture, with some emphasis on the bill’s digital lock provisions.

November 17, 2010 — 2 comments — News

Lawful Access Bills Would Reshape Internet in Canada

The push for new Internet surveillance capabilities goes back to 1999, when government officials began crafting proposals to institute new surveillance technologies within Canadian networks along with additional legal powers to access surveillance and subscriber information. The so-called lawful access initiatives stalled in recent years, but my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that earlier this month the government tabled its latest proposal with three bills (C-50, C-51, C-52) that received only limited attention despite their potential to fundamentally reshape the Internet in Canada.

The bills contain a three-pronged approach focused on information disclosure, mandated surveillance technologies, and new police powers.

November 16, 2010 — 85 comments — Columns

Copyright Board Rejects Access Copyright Attempt to Exclude

The Copyright Board of Canada has issued a preliminary decision indicating that it is rejecting the attempt by Access Copyright to exclude many intervenors to the proceeding on the university and college tariff. The Board indicated that faculty, students, and staff should be permitted to participate as objectors. The decision […]

November 16, 2010 — 1 comment — News

Students Call on Government To Drop Book Import Controls

Campus Stores Canada (CSC) and the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) have called on the government to remove aspects of the Copyright Act that increase prices of textbooks, arguing amendments would reduce costs for students.

November 16, 2010 — 2 comments — News