I can’t think of anyone who has done more than Michael Geist to educate Canadians about the interaction of law and the internet. Seemingly always in motion, he has written countless articles and blog posts, has been interviewed from one end of the country to the other multiple times, is constantly reporting from one international conference to the next about developments in law and technology, and now, finally, has his own wikileaks cable. And perhaps most significantly, he has worked tirelessly to educate us about the critical role that copyright law will play as our economy and culture become increasingly linked to and dependent on the internet. It has at times been a lonely road, and one that has earned him the ire of the US media industry and its lobbyists, as well as Canadian Cabinet Ministers attempting to do their work. But to many Canadians, his is the face of balanced, fair copyright suited to the needs of our country.
I’ve always enjoyed listening to Michael’s presentations – they are invariably creative, funny, insightful and intensely educational. You will always learn something vitally important, and emerge from the experience a better informed digital citizen.
This year, on the heels of a Parliament that concluded without resolution of the latest effort to amend Canada’s Copyright Act, and as we draw nearer to the conclusion of negotiations over an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement that will have profound implications for copyright law, and on the eve of a new Parliament with a Government that has announced its intention to pass a controversial copyright bill, Michael will join us for a very special session on what comes next.
