Howard Knopf points to a recent Federal Court case in which Microsoft was awarded $250,000 arising from copyright infringement of its software.
Latest Posts
Europe Pushes For ICANN Reform
The European Union has put Internet governance back on the political agenda, as it is urging the U.S. government to make ICANN fully independent.
Search Engine on the Special 301 Report
I appear on this week's CBC Search Engine podcast as we discuss the Special 301 report and the inclusion of Canada on the Priority Watch List. The show addresses many of the issues I've writing about over the past few days including the absurdity of including Canada on the Priority […]
U.S. List Unfairly Tarnishes Canada’s Digital Reputation
My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) focuses on the U.S. decision to elevate Canada to the Priority Watch list. I note that the elevation will undoubtedly heighten pressure for reforms, it also points to the need for the Canadian government to reassess how it manages the Special 301 process and its bilateral relationship with the U.S. on this issue. In previous years, Canadian officials have done little more than express disappointment with the U.S. findings. According to documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has been repeatedly advised that "Canada does not recognize the Special 301 process due to its lacking of reliable and objective analysis, and we have raised this issue regularly with the U.S. in our bilateral discussions."
Raising the issue in bilateral discussions may have worked in the past, but this year's report sends a clear signal that more is needed. This year's designation is so unsupportable that Industry Minister Tony Clement and Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore should not hesitate to challenge both the process and the substance of the findings.
Concordia Drops Facebook Block
Steve Faguy notes that Concordia has dropped the blocking of Facebook, effective today. Concordia implemented the blocking scheme last September.
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 232: What Will Canadian Digital Policy Look Like Under the New Liberal Carney Government? 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 231: Sara Bannerman on How Canadian Political Parties Maximize Voter Data Collection and Minimize Privacy Safeguards 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 230: Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 229: My Digital Access Day Keynote – Assessing the Canadian Digital Policy Record 
Queen’s University Trustees Reject Divestment Efforts Emphasizing the Importance of Institutional Neutrality
