The Harper Government's consultation on proposed changes to Canada's copyright laws snuck into Halifax Monday for a secretive session with groups representing only industry's side of the copyright debate. There was no advance publicity, news release, or announcement, only private invitations to industry reps favoring greater copyright restrictions. The media and the public were barred, no dissenting voices were heard. University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist, Canada's foremost expert on copyright reform, calls the closed-door Halifax session "by far the most one-sided of the consultation, with no voices representing users, libraries, education, or consumer groups."
12 August, 2009