Faculty in the News

Trans-Pacific Partnership undermines Canada's copyright balance, Internet users: study (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
Michael Geist, Common Law Section, comments on the Trans-Pacific Partnership copyright protections. "They exceed international standards, pay short shrift to user interests, and would require legislative changes in many countries including Canada."

Une taxe sur le carbone serait avantageuse à l'Î.-P.-É. (Radio-Canada Atlantique)
Cet article fait référence aux données de Stewart Elgie, Section de common law, qui montrent que la consommation d'essence a diminué de 17 % entre 2008 et 2012 dans cette province, alors qu'elle a augmenté en moyenne de 3 % ailleurs au pays.

Carbon tax would be good for P.E.I., says climate expert (Yahoo! News Canada)
Stewart Elgie shows the amount of fuel used by people in B.C. decreased by as much as 17 per cent from 2008 to 2012, whereas the use in the rest of Canada increased three per cent over the same time period.

Ontario Securities Commission moves ahead with whistleblower policy
Amy Salyzyn comments on a new provincial policy, financially rewarding in-house counsel for disclosing information on corporate wrongdoing

Ottawa should commit to digitizing Canadian heritage 
In this Op-Ed, Michael Geist discusses the Canadian National Heritage Digitization Strategy, which seeks to digitize a significant percentage of published heritage dating.

Canadian think tank under fire for accepting donations from arms maker (The Globe and Mail)
Amir Attaran, Common Law Section, comments on a high-profile Canadian think tank's acceptance of donations from defence contractor General Dynamics. "There’s an obvious appearance of bias – real bias – because you can’t take money from a company and then speak in the company’s interest without it seeming you’re doing so for the money."

Jusqu'où peut aller le dévoilement de la vie privée? (Radio-Canada : Les matins d’ici)
Teresa Scassa, Section de common law, explore la frontière entre les impératifs de sécurité et la communication d'informations relevant de la vie privée.

Jagtar Gill murder: Did police go 'too far' with a fake news release? (Metro News)
Blair Crew, Common Law Section, analyzes a fake police press release used to ensnare two ex-lovers convicted of murdering Jagtar Gill.

Update Canada's privacy laws, but don't look to Europe or the US for guidance, experts say (IT Business)
Michael Geist, Common Law Section, comments on the recently passed E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield and its potential impacts on Canadian privacy laws. "There’s a very real possibility that the E.U. could examine the adequacy finding for Canada and raise the same kinds of concerns that came up in the context of [Privacy Shield predecessor] Safe Harbour."

'Sorry about the death': Should Pa. balance its budget off smokers trying to quit? (The Patriot-News)
David Sweanor, Common Law Section, comments on Pennsylvania's new cigarette taxes. "This is all about tax and not about preventing death." 

Turkey engaging in 'witch hunt' on judiciary after coup attempt, analysts say (CityTV News)
Errol Mendes comments on the fallout from the weekend's failed governmental coup in Turkey.

Pokémon Go Brings New ‘Augmented Reality’ Legal Issues to Light (The Tyee)

Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in internet and E-commerce Law, shares his thoughts on the legal challenges and privacy issues raised by Pokémon Go.

Concerns and Predictions About FDA's Landmark Regulations (Convenience Store/Petroleum)
David Sweanor, Common Law Section, discusses the grandfather date, the part of the 2009 Tobacco Control Act that allowed manufacturers with tobacco products on the market before Feb.

TWU accreditation: No reason to perpetuate historical prejudice (CBA National)
In this article, Jena McGill explores how to find the balance between freedom of religion and the equality rights of LGBTQ Canadians.

The Legal and Ethical Ramifications of Letting Police Kill Suspects With Robots (Vice)
Ian Kerr discusses the ethics of law enforcement officers using robot bombs. "Once you send a robot in, compared to a human, you’re no longer thinking about it as a human process of negotiation."

CDC: Zika Risk Is Low At Rio Olympics (Opposing Views)
Amir Attaran discusses the possible health risks of proceeding with the Summer 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. “It is still not too late to postpone the Rio Olympics.”