International Internet restrictions: Weekly News Update from OpenMedia.ca

Hello!

Here's Lindsey with your update:

U.S. lobbyists have been pushing hard to ensure that the secretive international agreement known as the TPP is as restrictive as possible. But we know that through StopTheTrap.net campaign, pro-Internet voices are starting to make an impact.

For the Internet, 

- The OpenMedia.ca Team

Recent News

EFF: The TPP's Temporary Copies Provision

Last week we shared how the latest leak of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) text had shown differing opinions regarding intellectual property rights. Now, we're looking back to an earlier leak that addresses this particular chapter and how it could affect our Internet access.

The intellectual property chapter describes how under the TPP, copyright laws could be extended to cover temporary copies – which are often made during routine computing functions. These strict provisions could lead to situations where your computer is monitored, content is restricted and viewing licenses are required.

Help put an end to the copyright wrongs of the TPP and join the over 100,000 pro-Internet supporters who have signed our petition at http://StopTheTrap.net/.

Article by Maira Sutton for EFF (The Electronic Frontier Foundation)

We've been following the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the huge ramifications it would have for the future of the open Internet, access to knowledge, and innovation. Based on what we know from its leaked intellectual property chapter (IP chapter), it carries many of the restrictive copyright provisions that already exist in U.S. law. From what we have seen, however, this agreement is even more extreme: it does not export the many balances and exceptions that favor the public interest and act as safety valves in limiting rightsholders’ protection. Read more »

BoingBoing: The UN's Restrictive Broadcasting Treaty is Back

Like so many international copyright treates that are being pushed by Big Media, the World Intellectual Property Organization's Broadcasting Treaty just doesn't know when to stay down. Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing reports:

The UN's World Intellectual Property Organization's Broadcasting Treaty is back. This is the treaty that EFF and its colleagues killed five years ago, but Big Content won't let it die. Under the treaty, broadcasters would have rights over the material they transmitted, separate from copyright, meaning that if you recorded something from TV, the Internet, cable or satellite, you'd need to get permission from the creator and the broadcaster to re-use it. And unlike copyright, the "broadcast right" doesn't expire, so even video that is in the public domain can't be used without permission from the broadcaster who contributed the immense creativity inherent in, you know, pressing the "play" button. Likewise, broadcast rights will have different fair use/fair dealing rules from copyright -- nations get to choose whether their broadcast rights will have any fair dealing at all. That means that even if you want to reuse video is a way that's protected by fair use (such as parody, quotation, commentary or education), the broadcast right version of fair use might prohibit it. Read more »

The Globe & Mail: Rogers says defence of false advertising case a 'slam dunk'

Last week we shared how Rogers is trying to seek court approval for using false advertising in their campaigns. By claiming 'fewer dropped calls' without the requisite data and testing, Rogers is now faced with a $10M fine by the Competition Bureau.

In opening remarks to the trial made late last week, Rogers' lead lawyer issued a bold statement in saying that their case is a 'slam dunk'. With the Competition Bureau countering that testing was limited to a few select cities, conducted internally and produced a marginal difference in results to their competitors – it doesn't seem like the case is closed just yet.

Article by Jeff Gray for The Globe & Mail

Rogers Communications Inc. came out swinging in a Toronto courtroom on Thursday, saying the false advertising allegations from the federal Competition Bureau over the company’s “fewer dropped calls” claims are “completely without merit.” Read more »

Latest TPP leak suggests a wave of dissent amongst negotiating parties

Citizens around the world clearly don’t like what the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—a worrying multinational trade agreement—would do to the Internet and the rules that surround its governance. This distrust and concern has been vocalized clearly by over 100,000 pro-Internet community members who have signed the StopTheTrap.net petition.

Beyond the TPP’s clear potential to lock us into an Internet trap, which would criminalize a lot of what we do online, there’s also the secrecy aspect: the TPP negotiation process has been anything but transparent and accountable.

Public participation? Recognition of civil society stakeholders? Industry lobbyists don’t want any of it. Read more »

The Bell/Astral deal puts Canadians' choice at risk: It's time to reverse the tide

Today was a good day. An unbelievably frantic one, but a good day nonetheless. I’ve been pouring blood, sweat and tears into a submission to the CRTC’s hearings on Bell’s bid to buy Astral Media to be held in Montreal next month. Today was the deadline for submissions to the CRTC.

My submission is part of an intervention by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Consumers’ Association of Canada, Canada Without Poverty, and Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia opposing the Bell/Astral deal. The documents were filed with the CRTC today.  All submissions to the CRTC can be found on its website here. Read more »

What comes next

As we head into fall, we’re energized to see that our work is moving forward, bringing greater cooperation and coordination both with international partners and with groups of citizens. We’re taking a moment to update you on what’s at stake, and ways you can help:

Fair pricing and affordability
Advancing our vibrant digital economy, and defending your wallet

We at OpenMedia.ca are best known for our unprecedented win in the fight against Internet metering, when over half-a-million Canadians used OpenMedia.ca as a platform to take power away from telecom giants, and give it back to citizens.

But the fight for an affordable Internet is far from over. Canadians still pay some of the highest prices in the industrialized world for some of the worst service. Read more »