Privacy Law Commons^™

The Crtc's Enforcement Of Canada's Broadcast Legislation: 'Concern', 'Serious Concern' And 'Grave Concern', Monica Auer

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper describes results from a quantitative study of the enforcement by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC or Commission) over the last several decades of Canada’s broadcasting legislation and its own regulations. Established by Parliament in 1968, the CRTC is a quasi-judicial regulatory agency that administers Canada’s Broad- casting Act, 1991 as well as the nation’s telecommunications legislation. Parliament has accorded the CRTC a broad range of discretionary powers over broadcast licensees, from granting, denying or revoking licences, to issuing mandatory orders. It is one of many federal regulatory agencies that administer and enforce Parliament’s legislation.

Step In The Wrong Direction: The Impact Of The Legislative Protection Of Technological Protection Measures On Fair Dealing And Freedom Of Expression, Graham Reynolds

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper will investigate whether legislation granting protection to TPMs infringes the freedom of expression (s. 2(b)) guarantee as contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This paper will proceed in five parts. Part I will discuss Bill C-60 and the legislative protection of TPMs in Canada. Part II will discuss the effect of TPMs on fair dealing. Part III will analyze whether the freedom of expression guarantee can be used to challenge provisions in the Copyright Act. Part IV will evaluate whether amendments to the Copyright Act granting protection to TPMs are consistent with the freedom of …

Licenced To Thrive? Podcasting And Copyright Law In Canada, Keith Sutherland

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article examines podcasting and its specific characteristics to see, first, where it fits within Canada’s copyright law, and second, how the licensing regime for musical works in Canada applies to podcasting. The discussion next turns to whether or not the current licensing regime for podcasting is desirable in light of the purpose of copyright in Canada, and with a view to the various interests at stake: those of artists, in being paid, and those of society, in enabling podcasters to access material in order to produce their work. An examination of the current and proposed licensing regime and its …

Electronic Trespass In Canada: The Protection Of Private Property On The Internet, James Macdonald

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper argues that Canadian courts can, and should, adopt electronic trespass as a viable cause of action for the protection of property rights on the Internet. Of course, this conclusion presupposes that property rights in fact exist on the Internet. While American courts have accepted the existence of property rights on the Internet without any real controversy, a significant body of criticism has developed around American jurisprudence. Part III examines the critiques levelled against the assumption of property rights inherent in electronic trespass, and argues that there are property rights that need to be protected on the Internet. Part …

Ests Under Canadian Patent Law: Useful Or Not?, Natalie C. Bellefeuille

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The following discussion will examine the utility requirement for patentability in the context of EST patents. Part I will provide background information regarding the utility requirement under patent law and will explain why it has been difficult to apply to ESTs. Part II will briefly examine how other jurisdictions, in particular the United States, have addressed the difficul- ties associated with applying the current utility require- ment to biological materials, in particular ESTs. Part III will look at how Canadian courts have interpreted and applied the utility requirement for patentability, and will suggest that ESTs have sufficient value to the …

E-Commerce Legislation And Materials In Canada: Lois Sur Le Commerce Électronique Au Canada Et Documents Connexes By Sunny Handa, Claude Marseille & Martin Sheehan (Markham, Ont.: Lexisnexis Butterworths, 2005), John D. Gregory

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This hefty volume is a useful compendium of the basic source materials for the law of electronic commerce in Canada. It offers the text of all the general-purpose legislation that removes legal barriers to the use of electronic communications, for all jurisdictions in the country. It then takes a dozen related areas of law, from domain names to taxation, from competition law to consumer protection, from security to standards, and offers a quick overview and the key documents applicable to each. In each case the commentary is in English then in French, and where the texts are available in both …

It Waste Management In Canada: From Cost Recovery To Resource Conservation?, Meinhard Doelle

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The volume, composition and management of solid waste generated by households, governments, the commercial sector, and industry have all changed dramatically over the past century. Household waste contained mainly organic material a hundred years ago. Today, both residential and commercial waste is a complex mix of organics, plastics, paper products, metals and a variety of toxic material. Historically, individual households looked after their own waste, through efforts such as composting and burning. Over the past century, with significant increases in volume of waste generated, municipalities have taken over primary responsibility for solid waste management, initially mainly for aesthetic and sanitary …

Personal Medical Information: Privacy Or Personal Data Protection?, Wilhelm Peekhaus

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Some of the existing literature concerning the privacy of health information seems to suggest that medical information has a particularly special nature; either through its oft-cited association with dignity or the need for its ‘‘unobstructed’’ use by health care practitioners for a variety of reasons. It is against such a backdrop that this paper will review and compare a number of legislative mechanisms that have been designed to meet the challenge of safeguarding the privacy of personal information without completely hindering the continued flow of information required by economic and health care systems. An attempt will be made to situate …

Producers And Consumers In Eu E-Commerce Law, Banu Sit

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Rapid growth of technology in the last decades has given rise to electronic commerce (e-commerce) as a new mode of commerce. This new commerce environment has many characteristics that affect commercial relationships and parties. Of these characteristics, global and borderless commercial activity and the intangible nature of communication can be singled out.

From a legal perspective, e-commerce has developed new modes, of contract formation, performance of contracts for intangible goods, as well as payment. In this new borderless and transient sphere, certain interests of parties involved in commercial activities as buyers or sellers are in need of protection. In particular, …

Beyond Content: The Emergence Of Video Games And Their Diverse Effects On Legal Normativity As Seen Through The Lens Of Jean Baudrillard, Stephen Orr

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Current legal discourse about video games focuses primarily on freedom of speech issues relating to the content of games. Using the work of Jean Baudrillard (and to a small extent Marshall McLuhan) this article reconsiders how we should conceptualize the regulation of video games. Baudrillard's theories are particularly interesting to explore as his pessimistic reflections about technology challenge us to contemplate how profoundly the form of new communicative technologies, such as video games, shape human interactions. Appealing to both theorists' belief that "the medium is the message", this article argues that we should be wary of focusing legal energy exclusively …

Domestic Surveillance And The Constitution, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 177 (2006), Lawrence Friedman, René M. Landers

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article argues that President Bush’s domestic electronic surveillance program is unconstitutional. The program allows the President to order the NSA to conduct surveillance of electronic communications, including communications involving United States citizens, without court order. The authors conclude that the President lacked the statutory or constitutional power to authorize such a program and that the program runs afoul to the letter and the spirit of the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures embraced by the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Congress and the President share overlapping constitutional authority in matters of foreign affairs and national security. …

The Protection Of Maps And Spatial Databases In Europe And The United States By Copyright And The Sui Generis Right, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 195 (2006), Katleen Janssen, Jos Dumortier

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Spatial data and applications play an ever-increasing part in our economy and in our society in general, but the protection of spatial databases by intellectual property rights seems to be a challenge because the Internet and information technology have caused a considerable increase in the copying of data, maps, route descriptions, hiking trails, etc. The illegal copying of spatial data, however, has caused the data producers to turn to several means of protection, such as intellectual property legislation, unfair competition, confidentiality and privacy. This paper begins by determining what is meant by spatial data. Thereafter, the paper reflects on the …

Voip Goes The Bad Guy: Understanding The Legal Impact Of The Use Of Voice Over Ip Communications In Cases Of Nsa Warrantless Eavesdropping, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 227 (2006), Eric Koester

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

For purposes of national security, the Bush administration delegated authority to the National Security Administration (“NSA”) to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans; and such surveillance defies tradition. At the same time, emerging communications technology, like Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”), complicates the already controversial issue by generating uncertainty about how courts will analyze warrantless surveillance of such forums. The problem lies in outdated communications and surveillance regulations, which effectively address older communications forums, like the telephone, but encounter stifling ambiguity vis-à-vis VoIP and other new forums. VoIP is a relatively new technology, but it encompasses the large and ever-growing use …

The Federal Election Commission & Political Blogging: A Perfect Balance Or Just Not Enough?, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 611 (2006), Niki Vlachos

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Cleaning Metadata On The World Wide Web: Suggestions For A Regulatory Approach, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 531 (2006), Marcel Gordon

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Copyright Misuse Doctrine On Computer Software: A Redundant Doctrine Of U.S. Copyright Law Or A Necessary Addition To E.U. Copyright Law?, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 571 (2006), Haris Apostolopoulos

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Provisional Relief In Transnational Litigation In The Internet Era: What Is In The Us Best Interest?, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 263 (2006), Panagiota Kelali

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Using the hypothetical of a college student victimized by a fraudulent website, this comment addresses the issue of Internet fraud. In the example presented, the perpetrators are Greek nationals located in Greece. Focusing on the intangible and international nature of the Internet, the comment addresses the complications surrounding litigating an Internet fraud case. The issues discussed include a determination of the forum where the suit should be brought, preservation of the status quo pending determination of the dispute, and the status of a transnational cooperation on the issue of recognition and enforcement of judgments. The comment presents the options available …

Transsexuals And The Family Medical Leave Act, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 315 (2006), Charles Thomas Little

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article examines the implications for transsexuals seeking sexual reassignment surgery (“SRS”) under the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). Currently, the scant case law pertaining to the FMLA suggests that the statutes and regulations will likely fail to provide even minimal protection to transsexuals. If applied literally, the FMLA may present barriers to transsexuals seeking SRS in opposition to the true purpose behind the Act, which is to allow employees the opportunity to take reasonable leave from work by mandating more medical leave than the employers might otherwise be willing to grant for things such as the adoption or birth …

Borders Online, Llc V. State Board Of Equalization: It's Time For Congress To Weigh The Possibilities Of This California Decision, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 641 (2006), Ronnie E. Webb

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Twenty-Fifth Annual John Marshall International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Bench Memorandum, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 673 (2006), David E. Sorkin, Larisa V. Benitez-Morgan, J. Preston Carter, William P. Greubel Iii, Matthew Hector, Kellen Keaty, Lisa Rodriguez

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Twenty-Fifth Annual John Marshall International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Petitioner, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 699 (2006), Chris Norris, Justin Sisemore, Anndi Queenan

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Twenty-Fifth Annual John Marshall International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Respondent, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 733 (2006), Timothy T. Hsieh, Jennifer Simmen Lewin, Jerome C. Pandell

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Rights At The Crossroad Between Monopolization And Abuse Of Dominant Position: American And European Approaches Compared, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 455 (2006), Emanuela Arezzo

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The Gathering Twilight? Information Privacy On The Internet In The Post-Enlightenment Era, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 353 (2006), Mark F. Kightlinger

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This Article provides a timely examination of U.S. law and policy concerning information privacy on the Internet, a subject that receives almost daily attention in the press. This Article constructs a new theoretical framework from the writings of Alasdair MacIntyre, a major contemporary philosopher and social theorist. Over the past 30 years, MacIntyre has examined the roots and continuing impact of the failure of post-Enlightenment thinkers to produce an account of human nature and action that could replace an older Aristotelian account and command the assent of all rational persons. In addition to extending MacIntyre’s examination of our post-Enlightenment situation, …

Contribution To The Understanding Of The Public Domain, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 411 (2006), Vincenzo Vinciguerra

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

A Comedy Of Errors: Defining "Component" In A Global Information Technology Market - Accounting For Innovation By Penalizing The Innovators, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 507 (2006), William Greubel

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Consumer Privacy And Radio Frequency Identification Technology, Teresa Scassa, Theodore Chiasson, Michael Deturbide, Anne Uteck

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Radio Frequency ID tags are poised to replace the UPC barcode as a mechanism for inventory control in the wholesale and retail contexts. Yet the tiny chips offer a range of potential uses that go beyond the bar code. In this paper the authors define RFID technology and its applications. They explore the privacy implications of this technology and consider recent attempts in the U.S. and European Union to grapple with the privacy issues raised by the deployment of RFIDs at the retail level. The authors then consider the extent to which Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act …

Beyond Patents: The Cultural Life Of Native Healing And The Limitations Of The Patent System As A Protective Mechanism For Indigenous Knowledge On The Medicinal Uses Of Plants, Ikechi Mgbeoji

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The question that this paper seeks to tackle is whether in the contest of allegations of biopiracy and in the search for effective mechanisms for the protection of indigenous knowledge of the medicinal uses of plants possessed by traditional healers of southern Nigeria, there is any role for the patent regime. Given the popularity of alternative forms of health care, this question is of importance in contemporary discourse.

Liability For Botnet Attacks, Jennifer A. Chandler

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper will consider the possibility of using tort liability to address cyber insecurity. In previous work, I have proposed a hypothetical lawsuit by the victim of a DDoS attack against the vendor of unreasonably insecure software, the flaws of which are exploited to create the DDoS attack army. Indeed, software vendors are facing increasing public disapproval for their contributions to cyber insecurity. However, not all DDoS attack armies are assembled by exploiting flaws in software. Computers are also infected when users voluntarily open infected email attachments or download infected files from file-sharing networks. Accordingly, the cyber insecurity resulting from …

Rfid Et Administration Publique: Le Citoyen Sous Surveillance?, Anthony Hémond

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Lorsque les gouvernements et l’Administration se lancent dans la mise en place d’une nouvelle technologie, il leur faut, au préalable, analyser les enjeux et les risques de ce déploiement.

Tel sera l’essentiel de nos développements. Nous verrons comment, notamment à travers la mise en place du e-passeport, la technologie RFID peut être intégrée au sein de l’Administration. Le choix de cette nouvelle génération de passeports n’est pas anodin: si dans certains domaines les donne ́es qu’ils contiennent sont précieuses, dans d’autres, notamment celui de la santé, les informations sur les personnes sont très sensibles. Il faut donc maîtriser les risques …