The government appears to be making the final changes on intellectual property so it can get green light join the TPP block. Article by Justin Ling for National One small change for Canadian copyright law, one giant leap for ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. As negotiations on the multilateral TPP
Continue readingAuthor: Soledad Vega
OpenMedia.ca: METRO: The government knows about the copyright loophole, but it won’t fix it.
The government knows about the copyright loophole, but is “waiting on the industry to come up with an appropriate solution.” Have you read our open letter Minister Moore? Article by Meghan Haynes for Metro An L.A. company is asking thousands of Canadians to cough up hundreds of dollars each for illegally
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Global: Our business letter against Bill C-51 gains TV coverage
Thanks to your hard work, over 100 Canadian businesses are speaking out about Bill C-51, securing us this major media coverage. By Global News OTTAWA – The Conservatives’ anti-terror law threatens to stifle the Canadian tech sector, potentially dealing a lasting blow to the national economy, business leaders are warning. read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Michael Geist: Music industry lobbyists knew all along about the copyright term extension
Music industry lobby have been pushing the extension in spite of the absence of public consultation on the issue. Article by Michael Geist The government’s unexpected budget decision to extend the term of copyright for sound recordings came as a surprise to most copyright watchers, but not the music industry lobby. Music
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: TorrentFreak: We told Minister James Moore to protect us from copyright trolls
We need Minister Moore to close the loophole that lets Big Media threaten Canadians with abusive copyright letters. Article by Ernesto for TorrentFreak Following the introduction of Canada’s notice and notice system earlier this year, hundreds of thousands of ISP subscribers have received piracy warnings, often accompanied by hefty settlement
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Extending the term of copyright will harm Canadian economy
Canadians will bear the costs of the new copyright extension, with less choice and higher prices. Article by Michael Geist for the Toronto Star The Conservative government’s budget this week included benefits for some families, assistance for seniors and future tax reductions for small businesses. While those measures were widely
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: EFF supports our notice-and-notice letter
We wrote a letter to Minister of Industry James Moore demanding that the legal loophole be closed. It is time to put an end to abusive copyright trolls. Article by Jeremy Malcolm for EFF The notice and takedown provisions of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provide a streamlined way for
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: OTTAWA CITIZEN: Federal watchdogs warn security-bill snooping goes way too far
Canadians risk being caught in a web of unbridled government snooping into their personal lives” – that’s the verdict of the government’s own Privacy Commissioner on Bill C-51. Article by Ian Macleod for the Ottawa Citizen The federal government’s proposed security bill contains serious and contradictory flaws that will
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Michael Geist: The new copyright extension does not benefit Canadian artists, but large foreign record labels
Longer copyrights will only cost Canadians more money while sweeping up legitimate uses and reuses of content by artists and their access to crucial audiences. Article by Michael Geist The government’s surprise decision to include copyright term extension for sound recordings and performances in this week’s budget is being painted by the
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CBC: Did you know about cost-effective, mobile phone service Google Fi Wireless? Well, it won’t come to Canada anytime soon
The new phone service is a cost-effective alternative , though only available to Americans for now. Article by Dianne Buckner for CBC News Google is about to launch a new cost-effective mobile phone service for Americans only. And as the news spreads, it may trigger a new round of grumbling in
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Globe and Mail: Spy Watchdogs are speaking out about huge flaws in the current system
The watchdogs for Canada’s spy agencies are being left out of the Bill C-51 talks. Article by Coleen Freeze for The Globe and Mail The watchdogs for Canada’s spy agencies have got together to tell Parliament how much they resent being kept apart. Telling a Parliamentary hearing they need new
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: BCCLA: The amendments to Bill-C51 don’t change our core concerns about this reckless bill
None of the amendments to Bill C-51 begin to address the fundamental threat on basic rights and freedoms, experts say. Article by Carmen Cheung for BCCLA This week, the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security and Defence continues its pre-study of Bill C-51, while an amended version of the Bill proceeds to third
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: National Post: Artists and Internet users will foot the bill for James Moore’s 20-year extension of copyright terms.
Shrinking the public domain will ultimately hurt artists and internet users Article by Ishmael N. Daro for the National Post Tucked away inside the 500-page budget unveiled in Ottawa Tuesday was a single sentence that is already raising alarm over how it will affect the way Canadians create and consume
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CSE is using Canadian metadata to follow us, and wants to keep it a secret
Why does this remind us of the kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar? Article by Amber Hildebrandt for CBC Canada’s electronic spy agency fretted over how its collection of cellphone and email metadata might be perceived even before CBC published a story on the agency using Wi-Fi
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: IPOLITICS: CSIS IS KEEPING EVERYONE IN THE DARK ABOUT RECKLESS BILL C-51
CSIS is keeping everyone, including ministers of the Crown, out of the loop. And Harper seems to be OK with it. Article by Andrew Mitrovica for iPolitics When it comes to strengthening what passes for oversight of Canada’s spy service, Stephen Harper doesn’t listen to his critics. Maybe he’ll start
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canada’s non-commercial copyright fail
Current copyright regimes are favouring the interest of big corporations while threatening our freedom of expression. Article by Michael Geist Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) starts tonight with events planned around the world. Last year, my daughter Jordan participated in the March of the Living, an annual event that brings thousands
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Bill C-51 by the numbers: Learn more about the dangerous, reckless and ineffective bill
Still trying to wrap your mind around Bill C-51? Here’s an interesting infographic from CJFE. Learn more about why Bill C-51 is irresponsible, dangerous, and ineffective. Article by CJFE [Yesterday marked] the anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the critical document that underpins our Canadian democracy. Bill C-51,
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Here’s how Bill C-51 is going to affect our lives
The government is trying to scare us into accepting a reckless bill that will undermine our basic democratic rights. Here’s how it will affect our lives: Article by Megan Drysdale via CJFE read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: #RejectFear – Call Together
Our MPs could be just a few days away from a vote on bill C-51. Can you help us send a powerful message with 1,000 phone calls to their offices calling on them to stop C-51, and start over with a law that defends our security, privacy and freedom? You’ve
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Canadians are asking for more choice, lower prices and better mobile services.
The wireless spectrum landscape has to change. The government’s wireless spectrum auction would allow companies to buy the building blocks to expand and improve their networks. Article by Pete Evans, CBC News 2500 MHz wireless spectrum auction underway The federal government’s auction of 2500 MHz wireless spectrum started at 10
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