Digital Copyright Canada

OTTAWA – In the wake of a controversial proposal on net neutrality advanced by Google and Verizon in the United States, New Democrats are calling on the CRTC to lay down clear rules to ensure equality of access to all information on the Internet for all Canadians.

Read full NDP press release.

The deadline for ideas and submissions on Canada’s digital economy strategy has been extended until midnight, Tuesday, July 13

I don't think I will have the time to make a formal submission. I have instead started to post to the ideas forum. If you agree with these ideas, please vote them up. Please also add comments.

• Protect end-to-end design principle in new communications technology.
  
• Regulate usage of technology in the correct laws
  
• Protect Information Technology property rights
  
• Adopt policy similar to 1991 EU directive on computer programs
  
• Improve competition policy, promotion and enforcement
  

By now you will have read many articles derived from the statements made by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer at Google about China.

The primary issue that Google was bringing up was a simple and not politically hot one. Companies need to know that the government of countries they are trying to do business in will have laws and enforce them against those who attack the physical or virtual infrastructure of these businesses.

Many of the comments and articles about this incident suggested Google was trying to protect online free speech. I do not buy that argument in this case.

Read full article on IT World Canada's blog ...

Liberal MP Marc Garneau (Westmount—Ville-Marie, critic for Industry, Science & Technology), has participated in a Q&A with SaveOutNet.ca. While the responses are interesting, I would like to compare with what would be said by Dan McTeague (Pickering—Scarborough East, critic for Consular Affairs, Consumer Affairs) who has expressed quite different opinions on digital strategy issues. I wouldn't be surprised to hear McTeague supporting both 3-strikes and the Google Tax.

I took the form at http://localtvmatters.ca as well as the CRTC form and sent the following intervention. The topic was the connections between convergence and the future of television, including local television. (See also: Michael Geist)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 21, 2009

CRTC DROPS THE BALL ON INTERNET FREEDOM: ANGUS
Decision leaves consumers and users out in the cold

OTTAWA - Today’s CRTC decision on internet traffic management practices is a blow to the future of digital innovation in Canada, New Democrat Digital Affairs Critic Charlie Angus says. The decision allows Bell and other giant Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to throttle the internet traffic of competitors or end users if they see fit to do so. This interference will be bad news for smaller competitors and leaves consumers open to digital snooping and interference from cable giants.

The following was posted as a comment to an Hour.ca article about the Network Neutrality hearings.

Please go to SaveOurNet.ca for details on the town hall meetings occurring in TORONTO (Monday June 8, 2009, 7:00pm), Ottawa (Wednesday June 10, 2009, 7:00pm) and Vancouver (Saturday June 20, 2009).

For those who cannot attend in person, some will be streamed online.

Jesse Brown takes on the question: Is throttling Necessary? in his (nearly) weekly podcast.

Media Democracy Day 2008 Vancouver will take place at the Vancouver Public Library on Saturday October 25th 2008 from 12 noon to 6 pm. Admission is free and open to everyone. Geoffrey Glass will be representing the Fair Copyright for Canada community in a panel, and Ifny Lachance of the Free Geek Community Technology Centre will help people upgrade to Open Source.

Closing Address: Matt Thompson - Award Winning Online Video Producer, Campaign Strategist for FreePress, Co-founder of SaveOurNet.ca