Michael Geist

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Michael Allen Geist

Michael Geist in October 2007 (photo by Aaron Swartz)
Born July 11, 1968 (1968-07-11) (age 40)
Residence Ottawa, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Education University of Western Ontario, Osgoode Hall Law School, Cambridge University and the Columbia Law School
Occupation Academic and Canada Research Chair
Employer University of Ottawa
Website
michaelgeist.ca

Michael Allen Geist (born 11 July 1968) is a Canadian academic, and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. Geist was educated at the University of Western Ontario, Osgoode Hall Law School, Cambridge University and the Columbia Law School.

His weekly columns on new technology and its legal ramifications appear in the Vancouver Sun, Toronto Star and the Ottawa Citizen. He served on Canada's National Task Force on Spam and is the founder of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic. He is also a board member of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which manages the dot-ca domain.

Geist was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2002.[1]

Contents

[edit] 2007 Canadian Copyright Legislation

Geist received widespread public attention from mainstream and citizen media in winter 2007 for leading the public response to proposed Canadian copyright changes.[2]

According to Dr. Geist and many others the Canadian legislation includes the worst aspects of the 1998 U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act. In December, 2007, Geist said the legislation will likely "mirror the DMCA with strong anti-circumvention legislation - far beyond what is needed to comply with the WIPO Internet treaties," and will likely contain no protection for "flexible fair dealing. No parody exception. No time shifting exception. No device shifting exception. No expanded backup provision. Nothing."[3]

Widespread online and offline support, from activist and author Cory Doctorow to over 30,000 Facebook users, led to the tabling of the copyright legislation by Industry Minister Jim Prentice until 2008.[2]

[edit] Jim Prentice article

Geist found that favorable edits to Jim Prentice's Wikipedia article were traced back to Industry Canada computers.[4]

[edit] Books

  • Internet Law in Canada
  • In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law (editor) -- a series of essays regarding Bill C-60

[edit] Videos

[edit] External links

[edit] References

Wikinews
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  1. ^ Canada’s Top 40 Under 40
  2. ^ a b Beltrame, Julian (2007-12-11). "Ottawa appears to delay tabling copyright amendment", Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 2007-12-24. 
  3. ^ Ingram, Matthew (2007-12-09). "New copyright law starts Web storm", Globe and Mail. Retrieved on 2007-12-24. 
  4. ^ "Government buffing Prentice's Wikipedia entry". Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
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