The Government has reintroduced legislation designed to address identity theft. The bill appeared in the last Parliament but died on the order paper. My original post on the last bill is here. I was scheduled to appear before the Justice Committee to discuss the bill, but the the committee was […]
Post Tagged with: "canada"
Canada Favours Early Release of ACTA Text
While the U.S. claims that ACTA documents are a matter of national security and the European Parliament demands greater transparency, it would appear that the Canadian delegation would favour an early release of the draft treaty. According to a confidential November 2008 memorandum that was prepared for Stockwell Day, the Minister of International Trade obtained under the Access to Information Act:
At the upcoming meeting in December 2008, given its commitment to transparency in international trade negotiations, the Canadian delegation plans to argue for a transparent approach. . . This approach would result in an earlier release of the text, which would serve to alleviate domestic concerns about the scope of the agreement and the perceived secrecy surrounding the process. The draft text could then serve as the basis for broad-based public consultations.
Should there be no consensus among the ACTA partners to make the ACTA text public, the Department will need to develop options to address Canadian stakeholders concerns about the lack of transparency in the ACTA process. Department officials will be working with other government departments as well as departmental experts on consultations and communications to develop options for public consultations that would address the issues raised by civil society groups and industry associations. These options would be submitted for your approval.
Notwithstanding the professed interest in transparency, Canada has secretly been a major contributor to the draft text.
Rogers Plans ‘Canadian Hulu’
The CBC reports that Rogers told the CRTC New Media hearing today that it plans to launch a new online video platform. The site is being characterized as a Canadian version of Hulu.com. More on the day's hearings soon.
Foreign Affairs Launches Consultation on Canada – India Economic Partnership
The Department of Foreign Affairs has launched a public consultation on plans to negotiate a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with India. Included among the specific issues identified in the consultation are intellectual property rights protections. The deadline for submissions is April 6, 2009.
Peeking Behind Canada’s Copyright Complaint Against China at the WTO
Late last month, the World Trade Organization released a much-anticipated decision involving a U.S.-led complaint against China over its intellectual property laws. Canada was among a number of countries that participated in the case, which alleged that China’s domestic laws, border measures, and criminal penalties for intellectual property violations do not comply with its international treaty obligations.
On April 25, 2007, David Emerson, then the Minister of International Trade, issued a press release announcing Canada's participation, stating that it was "based on concerns expressed by Canadian stakeholders on a range of issues related to China's intellectual property rights regime." Yet, as reported in my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) according to dozens of internal Canadian government documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, Canadian officials, unable to amass credible evidence of harm to Canadian interests, harboured significant doubts about the wisdom of joining the case and ultimately did so only under the weight of great pressure from the United States.