p2pnet - rss feed: Canada A to Z 2005 review
p2p news / p2pnet: As 2005 comes to a close, my annual A to Z review of the year in Canadian law and technology reveals a remarkably busy twelve months. From legislative proposals involving copyright, network surveillance, and Internet pharmacies to case law focused on popular consumer products such as the Apple iPod and the Lego brand of toy blocks, there were few dull moments this past year.
A is for the Apple iPod, which the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed in July would not be subject to the private copying levy when it declined to hear an appeal of a case involving copyright levies on digital audio players. In response to concerns that the decision rendered consumer copying of music from store-bought CDs to iPods unlawful, the Canadian Recording Industry Association undertook not to launch any lawsuits over such copying.
B is for Paul Bryan, a British Columbia resident who unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of the Canada Election Act’s prohibition on Internet disclosures of election results before polls close nationwide. In December, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear an appeal of the decision sometime in 2006.
C is for a handful of technology law bills introduced in 2005 in the House of Commons including Bill C-60 (digital copyright), Bill C-74 (lawful access), and Bill C-83 (Internet pharmacies). All three bills died on the order paper with the late November election call.
D is for the do-not-call list, legislation which the Senate passed just minutes before closing down for the election. Critics expressed skepticism about the bill’s effectiveness after lobby groups succeeded in obtaining a broad range of exceptions.
E is for education and copyright, the source of a heated public relations battle between education groups and copyright collectives. The government had promised a fall public consultation on the issue that never materialized.
F is for file sharing litigation, which continued with CRIA’ s appeal of a lower court decision denying a demand to compel five ISPs to disclose the identity of 29 alleged file sharers. The Federal Court of Appeal affirmed the denial, though it opened the door to future lawsuits.
G is for the Gomery Report and the failed publication ban on Jean Brault’s testimony. Within hours of his inquiry appearance, details on the testimony were posted on the Internet by a U.S. blogger.
H is for Harry Potter and the Raincoast Books injunction that ordered 13 purchasers to return their copies and prohibited reading the best seller before its official distribution date.
I for Internet telephony and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission May decision that left software-based services such as Skype unregulated, yet determined that incumbent telecommunications providers would be subject to regulatory oversight. Several providers asked the government to review the decision.
J is for a threatened lawsuit by the Jehovah’ s Witnesses’ Watch Tower Society against a Toronto-based website owner who posted excerpts of religious texts online. The Society claims copyright and trademark infringement, arguing that the postings were meant to embarrass the Society.
K is for keystroke logging, an invasive technology that enables employers to track their employees’ computer use. In June, Alberta Privacy Commissioner Frank established limits on the use of the technology after a library employee filed a complaint.
L is Lego, which lost a Supreme Court of Canada decision over whether it could use trademark law to stop Mega Blocks, a Canadian toy manufacturer, from replicating its toy building blocks. The Canadian high court rejected Lego’s arguments, warning against over-protective intellectual property laws.
M is for Member of Parliament domain names, several of which were scooped up by a group opposed to same sex marriage legislation. The development generated discussion in the House of Commons and also a new political awareness of the need to renew domain name registrations.
N is for the New York Post, which found itself on the losing end of a legal fight with former Vancouver Canucks General Manager Brian Burke. Burke sued the Post for Internet defamation in the B.C. courts, which asserted jurisdiction over the matter despite the objections of the paper.
O is for Online Rights Canada, a new grassroots Canadian online civil liberties group formed in December by the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic and the U.S.-based Electronic Frontier Foundation.
P is for Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, who was stunned to find herself on the front cover a national newsmagazine after a reporter was able to access her detailed phone and cellphone records from a U.S. online data broker. The matter remains the subject of a cross-border investigation.
Q is for Quebec v. Produits Metalliques CMP, a February Quebec court case that held a company liable for failing to provide a French version of its website. The court ruled that French language laws can be broadly interpreted to cover online content and that the company had ignored the law for seven years despite repeated requests to comply.
R is for Sony BMG’s Rootkit, a copy-control technology that was inserted into dozens of CDs and then secretly installed in more than 500,000 computers worldwide. Sony recalled millions of CDs after a security researcher discovered that the technology posed a significant security risk.
S is for the Spam Task Force, which released its final report in May. The report called on the government to introduce tough anti-spam legislation backed by significant new financial penalties.
T is for the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel, which conducted a comprehensive review of Canadian telecommunications law. The Panel is scheduled to release its report early next year.
U is for a University Affairs editorial published by National Science Advisor Arthur Carty that promoted a "culture of sharing" within the scientific community. Carty urged funding agencies to embrace open access models to better ensure that scientific results becomes widely disseminated.
V is for the Voices for Change website, which was blocked by Telus during a contentious labour dispute. The Telus blockage also eliminated access to more than 600 additional websites that shared the same IP address.
W is for the Washington Post, which successfully appealed a lower court decision involving a defamation claim over an article first published in mid-1990s. The plaintiff argued that Ontario was a suitable jurisdiction to hear the case since the article remained available online.
X is for XM Radio, one of three successful bidders for satellite radio licenses. The CRTC decision, including the establishment of media-specific Canadian content requirements, led to a flurry of lobbying activity as the government briefly contemplated asking the Commission to re-consider its decision.
Y is for Yukon as well as other northern Canadian communities that stand to benefit from a broadband initiative unveiled in the fall. The initiative seeks to provide high-speed Internet access to dozens of remote towns and villages.
Z is for Ernst Zundel, who was deported to Germany in February following a lengthy battle over Internet hate content.
Michael Geist
[Geist is the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. He can be reached by email at mgeist[at]uottawa.ca and is on-line at michaelgeist.ca.]
December 27th, 2005 at 7:15 pm
J is for a threatened lawsuit by the Jehovah’ s Witnesses’ Watch Tower Society against a Toronto-based website owner who posted excerpts of religious texts online.
My Comment–The Watchtower (Jehovah’s Witnesses) claim they are the one true religion and a spirit directed organization by God himself,so how could they be “embarassed” by the “truth”?–Danny Haszard ‘expert witness on the jehovah’s Witness’
December 27th, 2005 at 7:32 pm
J is for Jehovah.
Odd that the Watchtower would be affraid to have its own words out on the internet. Actually, it’s not that odd, as it shows exactly the cult they are.
Claiming to be God’s only channel, they’re written word only shows them as false prophets.
Bryan
www.haveyouseenmymother.com
December 27th, 2005 at 7:45 pm
Regarding: “J is for a threatened lawsuit by the Jehovah’ s Witnesses’ Watch Tower Society against a Toronto-based website owner who posted excerpts of religious texts online. The Society claims copyright and trademark infringement, arguing that the postings were meant to embarrass the Society.”
If the postings are embarrassing to the Watchtower Society, then one has to ask, “WHY are they embarrassing?” The answer is simple: The WATCHTOWER quotes provided by the owner of the site (who was simply exercising his freedom of speech), show the reader in black and white the doctrinal flip-flops and false information provided by the organization to its members for literally decades. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they alone have the right religion and that 99% of the world’s population will be slaughtered any day now (this, they’ve been saying for over a hundred years). They know that it’s hard to prove themselves God’s mouthpiece to potential new recruits when someone educates the world by sharing their lies and doctrinal flip-flops–by using their own words to unclothe them. Shame, shame on you, Watchtower leaders, for stifling another person’s freedom of speech when you have fought long and hard (for years in court) to be able to bring your beliefs–like the ones that you are now trying to snuff out–to my doorstep!
Brenda Lee, author: “Out of the Cocoon: A Young Woman’s Courageous Flight from the Grip of a Religious Cult”
www.outofthecocoon.net
December 27th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
J is for a threatened lawsuit by the Jehovah’ s Witnesses’ Watch Tower Society against a Toronto-based website owner who posted excerpts of religious texts online. The Society claims copyright and trademark infringement, arguing that the postings were meant to embarrass the Society.
The intenet spells doom for high-control religions like the Watchtower which seeks to keep everyone in a goat pen and keep them blind. But as more and more people get on the net, they will see what the Watchtower has said in the past and leave. It is happening in all internet-savvy countries now, they are losing large numbers and it will continue. www.freeminds.org
January 1st, 2006 at 12:32 am
Z is for Ernst Zundel, who was deported to Germany in February following a lengthy battle over Internet hate content.
The Zundel case was important for Internet freedom and for Canadian Civil Rights Unfortunately Zundel was not granted refugee status in Canada and is now in a Germany jail.
Regards from south of the Border. A. Allen
February 18th, 2006 at 1:15 am
The Jehovah Witness Watchtower cult is a big money life destroyer. The cult causes children to die due to its bogus blood ban. The cult also causes suicide among the members of the cult. Protect your family and community by warning people about this big money mind control operation.
Christian Peper
February 19th, 2006 at 9:06 pm
Danger: The Jehovah Witness Watchtower is a Destructive CULT By Christian Peper
When most people think of the Jehovah Witness Watchtower they think of well groomed men and women going door to door with harmless religious pamphlets and a (rewritten) bible. What lies behind this facade is a nightmare that destroys families and lives.
The Jehovah Witness Watchtower is a big money (billion a year) mind control operation that steals the hearts, minds and ultimately the lives of it’s followers. The cult uses mind control tools to keep members in line such as: milieu control, loaded language, demand for purity, confession, mystical manipulation, doctrine over person, sacred science, dispensing of existence, control of environment, closed logic, and most of all fear.
The cult has predicted the end of the world numerous times. This has lead many to take their own lives. The cult also practices medieval ritual shunning. By the time one is trapped in the cult they know no one besides other cult members. This also leads to suicide. Because the cult is obsesses with death and destruction long term exposure can lead to murder. There have been many families slaughtered by a long time cult member.
While the cult directly kills through its bogus blood ban and suicide; the cult also steals lives. Cult members are discouraged from bettering themselves or higher education and must attend many meetings per week. Cult members are only able to focus their lives on selling books and magazines and recruiting new members. Members aren’t allowed to read anything critical of the cult so they don’t think for themselves.
The cult uses mind control techniques to create a nowhere to run, nowhere to hide atmosphere for the members. Members must literally spy on other cult members to ensure that they have not violated cult rules. “Records” of cult members “sins” are kept by headquarters and never destroyed.
The cult breaks up families and manipulates the courts in their favor. Cult members are taught how to lie in court (theocratic warfare) so paternity cases are decided in the favor of cult members.
What can you do? Educate yourself. Build awareness of cult mind control.
Protect your family, protect your community.
Helpful websites:
www.freeminds.org www.silentlambs.org
www.dannyhaszard.com
April 13th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
The Danny Haszard Cult now has a few followers.
Danny has adopted the universal cult-leader stance of presenting himself as both a victim, and a type of
savior showing the way to salvation. He is of course successful with only those who reject an honest
investigation and give themselves over to the control and teachings of someone who teaches hate.
These traits, of being a victim and a leader intensely interested in saving others, are of course at the very
essence of Cults and their delusional leaders.
Though offering a pretense of help, however, his offering lacks conciliatory and genuine assistance to
Jehovah’s Witnesses, fellow “victims” for whom surely he must hold some kind of good intent…. But, no,
he sadly and pathetically just tries to create separation and anger, tries to divide families, tries to destroy
happiness, and teaches a withdrawing from and a rejection of the accepted freedoms of speech of our
society.
He suppresses the truth in favor of his own vitriolic hate. His efforts are reflective of a perception of
personal grandeur and a fixation on his own self-worth.
Also a trait of Cult leaders, Danny lacks the fortitude and purpose in life to accomplish good for himself
and others without needing the adulation of others he can dupe. Cult leaders need to build their own self
-esteem and to feed their own personal aggrandisement, and to strengthen their own wobbly beliefs by
grasping for the approval of followers. Anger is so often a front for fear and weakness. It is the weak
person, usually accompanied by weak reasoning, who turns from truth and uses anger and fear as a
motivator. Those similarly inclined or susceptible become followers of cult leaders like Danny Haszard.
He has actually made himself more of a slave to the Watchtower than he ever was as a member - he is
addicted to his fears and anger, addicted to attacking, delusional as to the success of his efforts to tear
down the faith of others, and uses hate as a tool to appeal to those similarly lacking in faith, or honesty, or
dignity, or self-worth, or personal esteem.
Remarkably his entire purpose in life in now linked to a preoccupation with the Watchtower.
This cultish behavior includes efforts to drawing off a following for himself….He has set himself up as an
authority figure who works hard to attract followers.
This is the new Danny Haszard Cult.
April 19th, 2007 at 9:37 am
HUH??
NOTICE:SPAM COMMENT by ‘JAMES’ IS A JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES STALKER
Who’s Danny Haszard?
Stalking Jehovah’s Witnesses trolls just eaten up with jealousy over Danny Haszard
Troll flamebaiters–Your notions though many are not worth a penny When it gets down to facts, the apologist does not respond back, everything about the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll is deception because you are a supremacist cult who feel no need to be truthful with unbelievers who are all,”gonna die at armageddon anyway”.
This is the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll IP address
james
(c-67-176-38-74.hsd1.co.comcast.net)
James
Aurora, CO
COLORADO FT. COLLINS
WHINING SLANDERING JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TROLL COWARD
May 25th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
HUH??
NOTICE:SPAM COMMENT by ‘JAMES’ IS A JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES STALKER
Who’s Danny Haszard?
Stalking Jehovah’s Witnesses trolls just eaten up with jealousy over Danny Haszard
Troll flamebaiters–Your notions though many are not worth a penny When it gets down to facts, the apologist does not respond back, everything about the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll is deception because you are a supremacist cult who feel no need to be truthful with unbelievers who are all,”gonna die at armageddon anyway”.
This is the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll IP address
james
(c-67-176-38-74.hsd1.co.comcast.net)
James
Aurora, CO
COLORADO FT. COLLINS
WHINING SLANDERING JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TROLL COWARD
May 25th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
HUH??
NOTICE:SPAM COMMENT by ‘JAMES’ IS A JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES STALKER
Who’s Danny Haszard?
Stalking Jehovah’s Witnesses trolls just eaten up with jealousy over Danny Haszard
Troll flamebaiters–Your notions though many are not worth a penny When it gets down to facts, the apologist does not respond back, everything about the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll is deception because you are a supremacist cult who feel no need to be truthful with unbelievers who are all,”gonna die at armageddon anyway”.
This is the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll IP address
james
(c-67-176-38-74.hsd1.co.comcast.net)
James
Aurora, CO
COLORADO FT. COLLINS
WHINING SLANDERING JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES TROLL COWARD
June 12th, 2007 at 4:09 am
The Poster “James” is a CRIMINAL JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES STALKER this goes beyond name calling
Poster above is a Jehovah’s Witnesses criminal stalker
HUH?? What’s this Jehovah Witnesses Troll spam?
Who’s Danny Haszard?
Stalking Jehovah’s Witnesses trolls just eaten up with jealousy over Danny Haszard
Troll flamebaiters–Your notions though many are not worth a penny When it gets down to facts, the apologist does not respond back, everything about the Jehovah’s Witnesses troll is deception because you are a supremacist cult who feel no need to be truthful with unbelievers who are all,”gonna die at armageddon anyway”.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Christian Peper is a perverted child rapist and proponet for sex with children. He even said that if he had a daughter he would want he to have sex with an adult man who would teach her about sex. He even said that people should ignore the legeal age of concent and just do what feels good. Don’t believe me, check it out. Its on Topix.com. Dateline, to catch a predator. You will see all the vial things he said, including that he cant wait for the day that oral sex is taught to 2 & 3rd gradres so he can help them explore their blossoming sexuality. He is a pervert.
October 20th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
By Christian Peper
Urgent: Internet vigilantes have been engaged in an organized and illegal campaign to slander my name. They have been hard at work putting words in my mouth (sometimes posting in my name on anonymous boards), slandering me, and quoting me out of context.
My supporters will be pleased to know that I am working hard (and will never stop working hard) to lower the age of sexual consent to puberty to increase the safety and lawfulness of sex. I will also continue to promote safer sex alternatives so that less youth contract HIV / AIDS. In addition, I will also continue to expose organizations that promote the true abuse of children.
Unlike those that defame me I am not an internet vigilante that pretends to be a savior of the children but really accomplishes nothing but slander and defamation of true heroes like myself.
April 4th, 2008 at 4:53 am
What’s the situation with Jehovah’s Witnesses child abuse?
Not good. They (Jehovah’s Witnesses) take Deuteronomy 19:15 literally, which demands two witnesses to a crime (not easy in cases of abuse). And they cite 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 – “Does anyone of you that has a case against the other dare to go to court before unrighteous men, and not before the holy ones?” – to justify trying to deal with criminals with courts of elders rather than courts of law.
A Panorama (British) investigation reported they have an internal list of 23,720 reported abusers which they keep private.
Studies in the US suggest they (Jehovah’s Witnesses) have proportionally FOUR times more sexual assaults on children than the Catholic Church.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/features/article3133271.ece
from here
(What is disturbing is that these predators are required to go door to door in the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith,this is a safety issue of concern.)
October 21st, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Truth teller is correct with the last comment.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses do and have protected child abusers. The information era that we currently live in has helped only some. The organization exterts a great deal of control over each members actions and thinking ability.
For any seeking help to exit the organization or help a loved one exit, it is possible to do so and lead a healthier life outside the cult.
http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com
The above forum has stories, a resource page and supportive guidance.