USTR Ambassador Ron Kirk has responded to a letter signed by dozens of legal academics (I signed on) expressing concern with the lack of transparency associated with the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations. Kirk says he is “strongly offended by the assertion that our process has been non-transparent and lacked public […]
Fair Dealing by Giulia Forsythe (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dRkXwP
Copyright
Copyright Board to Survey Stakeholders on Satisfaction
The Copyright Board of Canada plans to survey stakeholders to measure their satisfaction. The Board has set an initial satisfaction target rate of 70 percent.
Speaking Out Against Access Copyright – AUCC Deal
The Carleton University Graduate Students’ Association and the Queen’s University Librarians and Archivists have both issued public letters opposing the Access Copyright – AUCC settlement.
Benkler on the SOPA & ACTA Protests
Harvard professor Yochai Benkler recently delivered an exceptional talk examining how the SOPA and ACTA protests unfolded. The talk highlights the role of online new sources and the rapidly changing key players in raising awareness or generating protest activity. The Guardian: Blueprint for Democratic Participation from The Guardian and The […]
Something for Nothing: The Non-Existent Benefit of Linking in the Access Copyright Deal
any reproduction, in any material form whatever, including a Digital Copy, that is made by or as a consequence of any of the following activities
(k) posting a link or hyperlink to a Digital Copy.
Critics argue that this provision gives the AUCC no value as there is simply no need to license such activities. The inclusion of the provision means students will be paying something – there must some notional part of the $26 annual fee that covers this section – for nothing. Supporters of the deal, including AUCC, claim otherwise. Indeed, the AUCC FAQ has two questions and answers on point:
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 241: Scott Benzie on How Government Policy Has Eroded Big Tech Support for Canadian Culture 
What Is the Canadian Government Doing With Its Incoherent Approach to TikTok? 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 240: Dean Beeby on Why Canada’s Language Laws May Stop Government From Posting Access to Information Records Online 
Risky Business: The Legal and Privacy Concerns of Mandatory Age Verification Technologies 
Another Canadian Digital Policy Own Goal: Corporate TikTok Ban Leads to Millions in Lost Cultural Group Support
