Canada must place good policy above partisan politics on innovation, science, and technology
MONTREAL—”Could do better.” Three words on a school report card with which many parents and students are all too familiar. You are not living up to your potential, the teacher says, you need to apply yourself. Look past the repeated scolding, and there’s an underlying optimism in this message. Many often miss it: You can […]
Time to open up knowledge generation to people untrained in science
VANCOUVER, B.C.—Until recently the notion of “democratizing” science—reforming the scientific elite—seemed ridiculous to me. I had spent years of my life in graduate school, surrounded by fleece-wearing, coffee-drinking, slightly introverted physicists. I saw no evidence of an elite. But working in women’s health research over the last few years, I have begun to understand how […]
Canada’s future depends on being a leader in global digital economy, says Clement
Information and communication technologies are an important part of Canada’s knowledge economy future, but its quickly-changing nature presents policy challenges for the government, says Canada’s Industry Minister Tony Clement. “Our government recognizes that both the supply and adoption of ICTs is part of a broader knowledge economy that is important to future prosperity,” Mr. Clement […]
Copyright consultation provides blueprint for reform
OTTAWA—This past summer, Industry Minister Tony Clement and Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore successfully completed the first national public consultation on copyright policy in eight years. While there were a few inevitable hiccups, the consultation is rightly viewed as among the most inclusive, transparent, and accessible efforts in recent memory. By leveraging social media and […]
Getting it right: Tories must move from regressive to progressive copyright
OTTAWA—The recent round of copyright consultations represents the first positive step on the copyright file since the Conservatives took power. But the question that remains is: What will come of these meetings? In the four years since then-Heritage minister Bev Oda promised to deliver quick action on the copyright file, the Tories have treated the […]
Introducing a copyright bill is kind of like swatting at a beehive with a big stick
MONTREAL—Copyright policy was forever messy. Now it’s getting messier. The last time the government conducted major changes to the Copyright Act was in 1997. About 80 different organizations lobbied the government and Parliament. Reflecting on the passage of the amending legislation, Bill C-32, and the temporary war zone it created, former Heritage minister Sheila Copps […]
Canada’s copyright regime outdated and lags behind its major trading partners
Canada’s copyright regime is outdated and needs to be brought in line with its major trading partners, which stakeholders are hoping will be accomplished through a bill the federal government has said it would bring forward no later than the spring. The main thing the bill must accomplish is implementing the World Intellectual Property Organization […]
‘There has never been a better time to live than right now’: Moore
(The following is an edited speech by Heritage Minister James Moore delivered on June 22 on copyright and digital media. It has been edited for length and style). The future is now, it is coming and it is remarkable and it is exciting. I always say that there has never been a better time to […]
Canada can capitalize on digital reality, unparalleled opportunities
Ottawa—Canada’s communications system is undergoing a period of unprecedented change as it adapts to the digital reality, and it is doing so in a time of economic uncertainty. The opportunities of the digital world are remarkable, and Canada can—and should—stand on the leading edge of the digital revolution. Our government has an approach that is […]
Canadian Copyright collectives and Copyright Board after 20 years: does the system serve its purpose?
Ottawa—This is the 20th anniversary year both of The Hill Times and also its neighbour across the Sparks Street Mall, Canada’s Copyright Board. “The Board” is a specialized quasi-judicial tribunal located at the iconic address of 56 Sparks Street in Ottawa, one floor up from the fabled USC Canada, which was founded by Dr. Lotta […]
