Bloc MP Carole Lavallée has sent a notion of motion to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage calling for hearings on Canada’s role at the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations. The motion states: That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) the Committee on Canadian Heritage invite the Minister of Canadian Heritage and […]
Post Tagged with: "anti-counterfeiting trade agreement"
Digital Advocacy’s “Weak Ties†Should Not Be Underestimated
My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes the Gladwell article was published two days after Canada, the United States, the European Union, and a handful of other countries concluded negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Although some issues must still be sorted out, the countries have agreed on a broad framework and announced that no further negotiation rounds are planned.
With the draft agreement now public, it is apparent that one of the biggest stories over the three-year negotiation was the willingness of the U.S. to compromise on the rules associated with the Internet. When it first proposed the Internet chapter, the U.S. demanded new liability requirements for Internet providers (including the possibility of terminating subscriber access based on multiple allegations of infringement) as well as tough digital lock rules that went far beyond current international treaty requirements.
Digital Advocacy’s “Weak Ties†Should Not Be Underestimated
Appeared in the Toronto Star on October 17, 2010 as Digital Advocacy’s “Weak Ties†Should Not Be Underestimated Malcolm Gladwell, the best-selling Canadian writer for the New Yorker, recently turned his attention to the use of Twitter, Facebook, and the Internet for digital advocacy. Gladwell dismissed claims that digital advocacy […]
ACTA in the UK
Andres Guadamuz has an insightful post on the likely impact of ACTA in the UK.
ACTA Conclusion Leaves Flexibility for Made-in-Canada Approach
My weekly technology law column (Ottawa Citizen version, homepage version) notes that for many Canadians, a core concern with the agreement was the possibility that it could severely limit the ability to establish a made-in-Canada approach on copyright and intellectual property policy. Indeed, NDP Digital Affairs Critic Charlie Angus raised the issue in the House of Commons last year, noting that ACTA could undermine domestic policy.