For the past several years, my colleague Ian Kerr has led a remarkable project focusing on anonymity, privacy and identity in a networked society. The project – one of the largest funded SSHRC grants in history – brought together dozens of experts from across Canada and around the world. It […]
Latest Posts
Senate Anti-Spam Bill Passes Second Reading
Senator Yoine Goldstein's anti-spam bill has passed second reading at the Senate and will now head to committee. Conservative Senators expressed some concerns with the bill and provided assurances that Industry Minister Tony Clement is developing legislative options to address spam.
Protesting The Kindle 2
Gizmodo has photos and video from a protest over the removal of text-to-voice functionality from the Kindle 2.
U.S. Congressional Hearing Blames Canada, Again
Howard Berman, the U.S. Congressman who is sometimes called the "representative from Hollywood", was at it again today, leading hearings at the Foreign Affairs Committee on Global IP Theft that quickly became yet another case of "Blame Canada." As implausible at seems, there is a regular sport in the U.S. of claiming that Canada is the source of evil when it comes to IP laws.
At today's hearing, Berman demanded that Canada implement the WIPO Internet treaties, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees inaccurately claimed that " Canadian movie theaters account for nearly 50 percent of all camcorded sources worldwide" and urged Canada to pass legislation similar to the DMCA (Disney Chair Richard Cook noted that the anti-camcording law has reduced Canadian camcording), and Universal Music Group President Zach Horowitz claimed that Canada has the highest level of online piracy in the world, that we are a haven for unauthorized music sites, and that "there is no recourse against online theft." After this misleading and inaccurate testimony, Horowitz then urged the Congessional panel to ask Canadian officials "to explain their reputation as a nation unfriendly to the policies at the heart of copyright and the realities of the borderless digital marketplace."
Canada’s ACTA Briefing, Part Five: The Fight Over a De Minimis Exception
One of the most interesting points of discussion/disagreement during the ACTA briefing arose from the possibility of including a de minimus exception within the Border Measures chapter. The exception is presumably designed to ensure that tougher border measures does not result in iPod searching border guards. Canadian officials indicated that […]
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
