Post Tagged with: "facebook"

Ryerson Reverses on Facebook Expulsion

Outcome of the hearing here.

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March 19, 2008 2 comments News

Facing Up To Facebook: The Fight For Fair Copyright in Canada

Last week, I had the pleasure of delivering a talk at Osgoode Hall titled Facing Up to Facebook: The Fight for Fair Copyright in Canada.  The abstract of the talk was: In December 2007, the Canadian government planned to introduce new copyright legislation that was to have mirrored the U.S. […]

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March 9, 2008 5 comments News

Facing Up To Facebook: The Fight For Fair Copyright in Canada

Last week, I had the pleasure of delivering a talk at Osgoode Hall titled Facing Up to Facebook: The Fight for Fair Copyright in Canada.  The abstract of the talk was: In December 2007, the Canadian government planned to introduce new copyright legislation that was to have mirrored the U.S. […]

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March 9, 2008 Comments are Disabled Stop CDMCA

Ryerson Student Faces Expulsion for Facebook Use

The big story in Toronto today is news that a student may face expulsion from Ryerson University for their use of Facebook.  In this instance, the student was an administrator of a Facebook group that students in a chemistry class used to assist one another with assignments.  It would appear […]

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March 6, 2008 21 comments News

The Battle over C-10

I've been rather quiet on the remarkable public outcry over Bill C-10, the legislation currently before the Senate that would give the Minister of Canadian Heritage the power to veto tax credits for films or television productions deemed objectionable.  This afternoon I received an email urging me to "write your Government and support restricting or banning funding from the taxpayers for 'pornography'."  Given this nonsense, it is important to urge everyone to lend their voice to this issue by contacting their elected representatives and the Senate Banking committee to ask them not to pass the legislation with the film provision.  Much like the outcry against DMCA-style copyright reform, there has been a huge online protest with a Facebook group now over 21,000 members.

I believe there is a place for government support for culture.  While that support is not unconditional, neither is it appropriate for government to reserve for itself a veto power over content it finds objectionable (the loss of tax credits could effectively kill some film productions).  After the Prime Minister's Office apparently pulled Canadian Heritage Minister Josee Verner away from the media, late last night she issued a press release claiming that the provision is designed to stop tax credits from being issued to films that include content that may be subject to prosecution under the Criminal Code.  This raises a couple of issues. 

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March 4, 2008 18 comments News