Telecom by yum9me (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/53jSy4

Telecom by yum9me (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/53jSy4

Telecom

CRTC Delays CAIP v. Bell Decision

The CBC reports that the CRTC has announced that its decision in the Bell v. CAIP decision has been delayed until November.

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October 19, 2008 Comments are Disabled News

CRTC Posts Notice on New Media Hearings

The CRTC has posted its notice on the forthcoming new media hearings which will focus on whether regulatory measures are needed to promote Canadian new media and whether the new media exemption order remains valid.  Comments are due by December 5th.  The hearing is scheduled to begin on February 17, […]

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October 16, 2008 2 comments News

Election 2008 – A Digital Policy Scorecard

As the national election campaign launched five weeks ago, I wrote that "the election presents an exceptional opportunity to raise the profile of digital issues."  While the economy unsurprisingly dominated much of the political discourse, each of the national parties unveiled platforms and positions that included some discussion of digital policy.  With Canadians headed to the polls today, my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, Ottawa Citizen version, homepage version) offers a scorecard on each party's digital policy positions.

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October 14, 2008 4 comments Columns

Parties’ Digital Policy Scorecard Heading Into Election Day

Appeared in the Toronto Star on October 14, 2008 as Which Party is Ahead on the Digital Scorecard? Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on October 14, 2008 as Parties' Digital Policy Scorecard Heading Into Election Day As the national election campaign launched five weeks ago, I wrote that "the election […]

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October 14, 2008 1 comment Columns Archive

ISP Tax May Be The Next Big Culture Funding Fight

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) places the spotlight on the next big cultural funding issue that promises to make the current dispute seem like a short preview as compared to the forthcoming main attraction. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission will hold hearings on new media regulation in early 2009 and barring a change of heart, the focal point will be the prospect of a mandated levy on Internet service providers to fund new media cultural production.  

Opponents will deride the plan as a new tax, but that has not stopped cultural groups from lining up in support of such a scheme.  Earlier this year, several groups, including the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Directors Guild of Canada, and Writers Guild of Canada, proposed a mandatory ISP contribution of 2.5 percent of broadband revenue to help fund Canadian new media content creation.  In support, the groups released the results of a public opinion survey which they said found that "69 percent of Canadians believe that ISPs should be required to help fund the production of Canadian digital media content in the same way that cable and satellite TV providers are required to contribute a small percentage of their revenues to the production of Canadian television programs."

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October 7, 2008 12 comments Columns