News

  • CIPPIC welcomes new administrative assistant
    - 2005-06-06 -
    CIPPIC now has a full time administrative assistant! Annie Binet replaces Sue Gemmell who is, sadly for us, moving on to new challenges. Annie is fully bilingual and brings great enthusiasm and a glowing track record to this challenging position.
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  • Public's right to government information "in failing health"
    - 2005-05-28 -
    A national audit by journalists across Canada shows that Canadians exercising their right to access basic government information, such as restaurant inspection reports, complaints against police, and school class sizes, are often rebuffed. Problems of red tape, poor disclosure, prohibitive fees, and non-compliance with statutory time limits for responses were found across all levels of government, although some jurisdictions performed better than others. Canadian Newspaper Association News Release
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  • CIPPIC Joins Anti-Spyware Coalition
    - 2005-05-24 -
    CIPPIC has joined the Anti-Spyware Coalition, a software industry initiative to address spyware issues. Led by the Center for Democracy and Technology, the ASC brings together software makers, online businesses and security providers with consumer groups in a joint effort to help clear up confusion over spyware and adware, and to help consumers keep their computers free of spyware.
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  • Appeals Court Upholds Decision in BMG v. Doe
    - 2005-05-19 -
    The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected CRIA's appeal of Justice von Finckenstein's trial decision in BMG v. Doe. Citing privacy values and the weakness of CRIA's evidence, the Court concluded that the evidence created "the risk that innocent persons might have their privacy invaded and also be named as defendants where it is not warranted." - Federal Court of Appeal Judgment (Scanned PDF version) - CIPPIC's Media Release with our views on the decision - Brief summarizing key findings of the decison
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  • Spam Task Force issues report
    - 2005-05-17 -
    The Task Force appointed by the federal government to advise it on how to combat spam issued its report today. Among other things, the Task Force recommends new anti-spam legislation with meaningful penalties, new powers for consumers to sue spammers, more resources to government agencies tasked with fighting spam, industry self-regulation, and greater international cooperation to track down and stop those responsible for the floods of unwanted messages clogging Canadians' e-mail inboxes. - Spam Task Force webpage - CIPPIC News Release
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  • CRTC issues VoIP decision
    - 2005-05-13 -
    The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission has decided to regulate voice-over-internet protocol service in the same way that it regulates other voice services, when it is provided and used as local telephone service. Thus, VoIP phone service will be regulated when it is provided by incumbents, but generally not when it is provided by new entrants. Once the local phone market is found to be sufficiently competitive, the CRTC will deregulate. CRTC Decision
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  • Draft A2K Treaty Released
    - 2005-05-11 -
    The draft Access to Knowledge Treaty has been released. Delivering on the promise of last fall's Geneva Declaration on the Future of WIPO, the draft A2K Treaty guarantees the rights of developing nations and user communities, such as archivists, educators and those who provide access to disabled people.
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  • CIPPIC Summer Interns begin work
    - 2005-05-09 -
    Clockwise from top left: Jeremy Schwartz, Shane O'Herlihy, Alina Neventsel, Dixie Ho, Rhoderica ChanFive students from five different law faculties in Ontario, selected from a large pool of applicants, commenced summer internships with CIPPIC today. This is CIPPIC's second summer internship program, open to law students from across the country. This year's interns (Dixie Ho, Rhoderica Chan, Jeremy Schwartz, Shane O'Herlihy, and Alina Neventsel) are from Dalhousie, Ottawa, Queen's, Western, and Windsor universities, respectively.
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  • US Appeals Court Vacates FCC Broadcast Flag Regulations
    - 2005-05-06 -
    The Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit has vacated the FCC\'s Broadcast Flag regulations. In what can only be described as a serious blow to Hollywood, the Court ruled that Congress has not delegated to the FCC the "sweeping authority" the FCC claimed in mandating specific technology in television receivers. - Decision - CIPPIC\'s Broadcast Flag FAQ
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  • Australian Government Releases Issues Paper on Fair Dealing
    - 2005-05-05 -
    The Australian government has released an issues paper inviting comments on the treatment of digital technologies under Australian copyright law\'s fair dealing provision. The Australian government seeks submissions on whether Australia should adopt an open ended model similar to the American "fair use" right, or instead rely on specific exceptions tailored to particular dealings.
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