Cybersecurity, LEO satellites, data on OTT services in federal budget

OTTAWA — The 2018 federal budget, released Tuesday afternoon, includes half a billion dollars in funding for cybersecurity initiatives, in addition to smaller investments in looking at the potential of low-earth orbit satellites for internet service in remote areas and for Statistics Canada to collect data on streaming services. This content is available to wirereport.ca …

Judge upholds injunction against Kodi add-on host

The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of a number of telecoms in their case against the man behind TV AddOns. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial …

Bell asking employees to support FairPlay at CRTC: report

BCE Inc. is allegedly encouraging its employees to submit comments to the CRTC supporting the anti-online piracy proposal Bell is backing as part of a bigger coalition, University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist wrote on his blog on Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Telecoms defend FairPlay to MPs, call for 5G net neutrality flexibility

OTTAWA — Representatives from Canada’s biggest telecoms argued that flexibility in Canada’s net neutrality framework will be necessary with the advent of 5G, as they answered questions about a proposal to block websites hosting pirated content from parliamentarians Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Liberals signal interest in enshrining net neutrality in law

OTTAWA — The idea of of explicitly making net neutrality part of Canada’s laws has been floated in recent days by federal politicians, with a Liberal MP planning to introduce a motion on the subject in the House of Commons and the question popping up at the House ethics committee. This content is available to …

As TiVo targets Telus, three telecoms now all fighting TV patent claims

Telus Corp. is now the third Canadian telecom to be sued by TiVo Corp. over patents related to the operation of its TV services. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …

TFO looking for participants for March blockchain test

OTTAWA — A Canada Media Fund-backed initiative to implement blockchain technology that would make it more efficient to credit content and pay rightsholders will begin testing of the system in March. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

TiVo expands patent suit to include Bell

TiVo Corp. is going after a second Canadian telecom for patent infringement, claiming in a lawsuit filed in Federal Court this month that BCE Inc. is illegally using certain functions for its TV products without a licence. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

SOCAN expects higher annual revenues for 2017

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is estimating that it has broken its performing rights revenue record, according to its preliminary financial results for 2017 released on Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Interventions due March 1 in website-blocking proceeding

The CRTC has officially launched the Part 1 process for an application asking the regulator to set up an anti-piracy website-blocking system. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or …

Gov’t points to open internet for ‘legal content’ in FairPlay response

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains has released a statement on a call by a coalition of broadcasters, telecoms and creative groups to begin blocking websites hosting pirated content, in which he emphasized the efficacy of the current copyright protection system. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Cross-industry coalition calls for website-blocking

A broad coalition made up of Canada’s largest telecoms and broadcasters, as well as groups representing content creators, is asking the CRTC to put in place a system to block pirated content. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Canada touts wins on copyright, culture in TPP deal

The Canadian government announced Tuesday it has reached an agreement with 10 other countries taking part in the negotiations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

Canadian IP, tech targets during gov’t travel: CSIS

In an instructional guide released to government employees, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) recommended high levels of vigilance in protecting personal information during international travel. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

Sidewalk Labs, civil liberties group register to lobby

Alphabet Inc.’s Sidewalk Labs kicked off the new year by registering to lobby the federal government, while telecom and broadcasting communications in November grew significantly from the month before. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

Court denies Bell Super Bowl SimSub appeal

The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a case brought forward by BCE Inc. challenging the CRTC’s rule forbidding simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl on Monday, putting an end to a nearly three-year court challenge — though the company indicated Tuesday it is still hoping the regulator will rescind the decision. This content is available …

BPF registers to lobby amidst consumer group funding concerns

A few months after the emergence of a proposal asking the CRTC to shift funding away from the Broadcast Participation Fund (BPF), the organization that helps bring consumer interests in front of the commission has filed its first registrations to lobby the regulator and the government. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Amidst NAFTA IP negotiation, Copyright Act review kicks off

After a unanimous vote in the House of Commons, the federal government has triggered the long-awaited five-year review of the Copyright Modernization Act, though the timing might cause some challenges for the government, according to David Fewer, director at the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

TekSavvy appealing disclosure order involving 13 ISPs

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is appealing a Federal Court order to disclose the identities of some of its subscribers implicated in a copyright infringement case involving three movie studios and 13 internet service providers (ISPs), citing questionable and incomplete evidence that was brought to trial. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Supreme Court to hear Rogers disclosure costs appeal

The Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday it will hear a case by Rogers Communications Inc. that seeks to clarify the obligations internet service providers (ISPs) have under Canada’s notice-and-notice regime. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Gov’t should do more to support technology transfer: report

The House of Commons standing committee on industry, science and technology has outlined a number of ways to improve technology transfer — the move of knowledge developed in academic settings to industry — in a new report released Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Media, telecom issues not controversial in NAFTA: experts

OTTAWA — Questions around telecom, intellectual property and media aren’t going to determine whether renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) succeed or fail, Sarah Goldfeder, principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group, said during a lunchtime discussion at the 15th annual International Institute of Communications conference Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Website blocking has potential to combat piracy, conference hears

OTTAWA — If BCE Inc.’s suggestion in September that the federal government should consider blocking websites that host infringing material to fight content piracy was outlandish for some, it wasn’t for some presenters at a communications lawyers’ conference Tuesday, as the issue came up throughout the day. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Government needs to move quicker, do more on telecom issues: panel

TORONTO — The federal government and the CRTC must pick up the pace and do more on critical telecom issues in order to make a much-needed impact when it comes to pricing and competition, a panel of regulatory experts relayed on the final day of the ISP Summit. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

International market becoming key for music publishers: panel

OTTAWA — Markets outside of Canada are increasingly important for music publishers, a breakfast panel hosted by the Pearson Centre on Tuesday morning heard as participants discussed issues like copyright, tariffs and the new digital reality from an international perspective. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Google doesn’t have to comply with SCC order: U.S. court

Alphabet Inc.’s Google does not have to comply with an order from Canada’s highest court to remove from its search engine certain results in the United States, a U.S. court ruled Thursday, invoking a free expression argument which some experts say was not one that the Supreme Court of Canada fully considered in its original …

Expand statutory damages to other collectives: copyright groups

Just over a week before Parliament is set to embark on its five-year review of Canada’s Copyright Act, some collective societies responding to a Copyright Board reform consultation are asking the government to allow them to collect up to 10 times the royalties owed in the event of noncompliance.   This content is available to …

Broadcast lobbying jumped ahead of Creative Canada release

Creative organizations stepped up and added to a surge in lobbying activity in the broadcast sector leading up to the release of the results in the Heritage Minister’s review of Canadian content in the digital age last month. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Music Choice patents under review in dispute with Stingray

Stingray Digital Group Inc. is challenging the validity of patents held by Pennsylvania-based Music Choice as part of a wider conflict between the two parties. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Narrow the ‘value gap,’ Music Canada tells gov’t

Music Canada is asking the government to address the disparity between the value of creative content and the revenues that are generated from it. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …

Court issues no-cost orders for customer IDs of multiple ISPs

The Federal Court has made its first major disclosure orders for subscriber information since internet service providers (ISPs) were temporarily barred from charging for that information. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

SOCAN appeals decision in making-available-right case

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has filed an appeal in Federal Court arguing that a Copyright Board decision that established the making available right under the Copyright Act applies to downloads erred in neglecting to apply rates on those royalties. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Bell copyright ask draws criticism, as others point to precedent

BCE Inc. has said it thinks Canada can tackle piracy by mandating that internet service providers (ISP) block websites with pirated material from being seen by subscribers through an administrative agency. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Telus leads in end-of-summer lobbying activity

Telus Corp. was far and away the busiest industry stakeholder when it came to reportable lobbying activity with the federal government last month, filing a total of 16 communication reports in August — twice as many as lobbying runner-up Rogers Communications Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Regulatory rejigs, cultural changes in store as Parliament resumes

Everything old is new again when it comes to telecom and media issues percolating in Ottawa this fall, from reviews and renegotiations of old legislation and trade agreements, to court battles litigating long-simmering personnel disputes and CRTC decisions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Re:Sound, SOCAN team up for music licensing portal

A new pilot project is aiming to streamline the licensing process for music rights holders. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE …

Major boxing fight shows PPV target for piracy

Nearly three million viewers around the world watched the much-anticipated boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor Saturday through 239 illegally redistributed streams, shows new data from digital platform security company Irdeto. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Changes ahead for ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ as terms of trade expires

While online discussion forums are rife with debate — and more often, complaints — about why Canadians can’t access popular American television shows legally online, Canadian content producers are navigating how to ensure their work continues to be seen on digital platforms. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

‘No compromise’ on NAFTA cultural exemptions: ministers

Canada’s heritage and culture ministers are of one mind when it comes to the ongoing renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the need to ensure cultural exemptions remain in the new agreement, Quebec culture minister Luc Fortin said Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

BlueSky patent infringement suit dropped

A Swiss corporation and its subsidiaries have dropped a patent infringement case against Shaw Communications Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE …

Copyright rules could hinder AI development: Geist

Canada’s “restrictive” rules around copyright could make it more difficult for those working on artificial intelligence technologies to test and bring them to market, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist said in a document filed to the government’s consultation on its intellectual property strategy. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Cultural protection a NAFTA priority: Freeland

Canada’s continued preservation of the provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that protect Canadian culture is one of the few priorities Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined Monday, as she continued her pre-negotiation blitz ahead of the official start of trilateral talks with Mexico and the United States on Wednesday. This content is available …

Rogers asks SCC to weigh in on notice-and-notice, disclosure costs

Rogers Communications Inc. is looking to the country’s highest court to sort out what exactly internet service providers (ISPs) are obligated to do under Canada’s notice-and-notice regime. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

Government consulting on Copyright Board improvements

The federal government is looking for feedback on proposals to help the Copyright Board pick up the pace, launching a consultation on proposals to, among other things, speed up the body’s tariff-setting process. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Extend private copying levy: ACTRA

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is asking the federal government to extend the private copying levy, which is applied to media like blank tapes and CDs. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Kodi add-on host prepping for legal battle

A Montreal man connected to a popular repository for Kodi add-ons, who was ordered by the Federal Court to submit to the search and seizure of his property following a claim by a group of telecoms, is fundraising to fight the lawsuit. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

CMF funding blockchain-based system for rightsholders

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is backing an initiative by Ontario public broadcaster Groupe Média TFO to implement technology that would allow it to more efficiently credit content and pay rightsholders. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Google turns to U.S. courts over Equustek decision

Alphabet Inc.’s Google is challenging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) to order its search engine to delist specific results in the United States, asking a U.S. court to declare that a recent SCC decision cannot be enforced in that country. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

TNW Wireless, iFramed sold to U.S. company

Investel Capital Corp.’s TNW Wireless Inc. has been sold to an American holding and management company, United American Corp., the Florida-based company announced in a Wednesday press release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Supreme Court’s Google search ban could have global implications

OTTAWA — In a landmark ruling, Canada’s top court dismissed an appeal by Alphabet Inc. Wednesday and upheld a worldwide ban on search results of a company that Equustek Solutions Inc. said infringed on its products, in a move that could influence future takedown cases in other jurisdictions, experts say. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

U.S. NAFTA consult targets CanCon, copyright, data rules

American companies and organizations took aim at Canadian cultural protections, the country’s copyright regime and expressed concern over any potential rules requiring domestic storage of data, when given the chance to provide feedback to their government on priorities to tackle in a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This content is available to wirereport.ca …

SCC sets Canadian jurisdiction in Facebook privacy case

OTTAWA — Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that British Columbia has jurisdiction over a privacy case involving Facebook Inc.’s sponsored stories, a decision that experts say could have wider implications for online contracts between consumers and large companies. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Act now on copyright infringement ‘shakedown’ letters: Masse

The federal government shouldn’t stand idly by, awaiting the looming review of the Copyright Act, before taking action on copyright infringement notices that dupe alleged downloaders into ponying up unnecessary settlements to copyright holders, according to the NDP’s innovation critic. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Rightsholders ask court for I.D. of customers of 13 ISPs

Three movie studios have gone through the Canadian court system to identify alleged copyright infringers subscribed to 13 Internet service providers (ISPs), but TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is challenging the disclosure on the grounds that the copyright notices weren’t sent in a timely manner. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

New TV, streaming offerings eyed to help stem piracy

TORONTO — Products like new streaming TV services and sports-focused TV-everywhere offerings will help the industry curb piracy, according to Stewart Johnston, president of BCE Inc.’s Bell Media studios and TSN. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …

NorthVu drops Bell IPTV patent case

NorthVu Inc. has abandoned an appeal it filed with MediaTube Corp. in a dispute with BCE Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE TRIAL …

ISED PS Lametti hot property for April lobbying

The parliamentary secretary to the innovation minister was a popular target for lobbyists last month, as representatives from major telecom and Internet companies sought him out, according to the latest statistics from the office of the lobbying commissioner. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Appeal court rules ISPs can’t charge for disclosing customer info

The Federal Court of Appeal has granted Voltage Pictures LLC its appeal challenging the costs Rogers Communications Inc. was asking for to disclose customer information in a copyright infringement case, which could increase the incentive copyright holders have for these kinds of cases.

Canadian music streaming brings in $128M US: report

Canada has become the world’s sixth-largest market for recorded music, according to a new report from the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

The group’s 2017 Global Music Report said digital music revenue made up 63 per cent of the $489.4 million in recorded music revenues in 2016, which increased 18.8 per cent from the previous year, it said in a press release.

Ontario court bars FBI from handling Canadian data in piracy case

Ontario’s highest court has reversed an order by a lower court to allow a U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation team to investigate and prepare a report on seized data in a copyright infringement case.

The case involves the now-defunct file-sharing site MegaUpload, its founder Kim Schmitz and data from 32 servers in an Equinix Inc. data centre in Toronto retrieved in 2012 by the RCMP. At the request of the FBI, the Minister of Justice in 2013 applied to have the servers transferred to the United States.

Notice-and-notice effect on piracy unclear ahead of copyright review

As the federal government gears up to review the Copyright Act later this year, information about the rate of piracy in Canada remains elusive, two full years since the implementation of the notice-and-notice regime to combat copyright infringement.

The Wire Report reached out to experts to see whether the regime has had a tangible effect on piracy rates in Canada ahead of the review, but few could provide a way to measure the notice system's effectiveness.

Soccer league allowed to block servers in Kodi STB case: UK court

England’s biggest soccer league has been granted a court order to block computer servers that host and deliver content to a set-top box (STBs) application that allows users to watch its games for free, according to a BBC report Wednesday.

“For the first time this will enable the Premier League to disrupt and prevent the illegal streaming of our matches via IPTV, so-called Kodi, boxes,” a league spokesperson told the BBC.

Cost appeals filed by both parties in Voltage reverse class action

Appellant Voltage Pictures LLC is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to reverse a decision it made earlier this month forcing it to pay the court costs for the respondent if he wins his case, in a reverse class action case that has yet to be certified.

Patent infringement claim made against Shaw’s BlueSky TV

A Swiss corporation and two of its subsidiaries are alleging that Shaw Communications Inc.’s new IPTV service is infringing on a handful of its patents, according to a statement of claim filed in federal court Friday.

Voltage on the hook for defendant costs in reverse class action

Plaintiff Voltage Pictures LLC is responsible for the defendant’s costs in a reverse class action suit until the certification process, a judge has ruled.

Appeal filed in Bell IPTV case

A lengthy legal battle between BCE Inc. and two companies that claim Bell infringed on their IPTV patent has been extended, one month after a Federal Court judge dismissed the case.

Defence costs at issue in Voltage reverse class action case

OTTAWA — Lawyers representing a defendant in a reverse class action case over a copyright infringement claim are asking a federal court judge to give their client an opportunity to recover costs from the plaintiff if he's successful in his defence. 

32% of U.S. consumers watch pirated content: survey

A new survey has found that while the majority of United States respondents think consuming pirated video content is illegal, a chunk don’t seem to care how it impacts content creation.

Despite about 69 per cent of U.S. consumers who were surveyed by Netherlands-based digital security company Irdeto saying they think streaming or downloading pirated content is illegal, 32 per cent still watch illegal content, according to a Wednesday press release.

Unifor asks for suspension of SimSub ban

The union representing members of the television and media sectors is asking the CRTC to reverse or suspend its decision banning simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl in order for its impact to be fully considered.

Federal Court tosses patent suit against Bell for IPTV technology

What began more than three years ago as a $350-million claim of patent infringement against BCE Inc. devolved into a pale imitation of its former self and will lead to plaintiffs MediaTube Corp. and NorthVu Inc. paying for the whole affair, according to a decision from a Federal Court judge.

Bell drops Zazeen suit

BCE Inc. has dropped its second lawsuit alleging copyright infringement against a small Internet protocol TV (IPTV) provider, following changes the company made to its service.

Bell, NFL file appeal of Super Bowl simsub rules

BCE Inc. and the National Football League (NFL) have filed appeals in federal court arguing that the CRTC lacks the authority to ban the use of simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl.

Bell targets second small IPTV provider over copyright claim

Zazeen Inc. is facing legal action from BCE Inc. over its Internet protocol TV (IPTV) service, with the incumbent calling the small provider’s service copyright infringement.

In a statement of claim filed with the Federal Court last month, Bell said Zazeen is currently operating “an unlicensed Internet delivered service… that is exempt from licensing by the CRTC.”

Overturn worldwide search result ban, Google asks Supreme Court

OTTAWA — Canada’s highest court heard arguments Tuesday on whether a court in Canada can order a worldwide ban on websites appearing on Alphabet Inc.’s Google search engine, with counsel for Google arguing that such a ban would infringe on its free expression rights to rank its search results and devalue the quality of its search results.

Artists ask Joly to ‘stand up for creators’

‘Virtually impossible’ to quantify damage from set-top boxes: telecoms

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron are asking a federal court judge to dismiss an appeal of an injunction banning sales of “pre-loaded” set-top boxes.

Voltage must pay disclosure costs: Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc. is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to turn down Voltage Pictures LLC’s case to have the Internet service provider (ISP) pay for its own costs associated with retrieving subscriber data.  

Internet companies reach out to new U.S. leadership

An organization representing four-dozen major online-based companies has reached out to president-elect Donald Trump, congratulating him on his victory while proposing digital policy planks for his administration to consider.

Article-sharing copyright case dismissed

The Federal Court of Canada dismissed a copyright lawsuit Thursday involving the sharing of news articles without purchase or consent because the content was used for “proper research” purposes.

The case involved the Department of Finance’s use and circulation of two articles in 2013, written by a reporter at subscription-based online news outlet Blacklock’s Reporter, that concerned parties within that department. Blacklock’s said those actions were against its terms and conditions.

Bell asks for injunction against VMedia OTT service

BCE Inc. is asking the Ontario Superior Court to grant an interim and permanent injunction to stop VMedia Inc. from delivering Bell's CTV channels on its over-the-top (OTT) service.

VMedia fighting to keep CTV, CTV2 on OTT service

VMedia Inc. is asking an Ontario court to step in and declare that its recently launched over-the-top (OTT) streaming television service is not infringing copyright, as claimed by BCE Inc., which wants the provider to remove its CTV and CTV Two networks from its service.

In an application filed Monday with the Ontario Superior Court, the Toronto-based independent provider argued that its live-TV streaming service for customers with Roku Inc. devices is permitted under the Copyright Act.

Piracy lawsuit launched over Cell sharing

An American film production company is looking to identify 12 Canadians it says infringed its copyright by file-sharing its content.

In a statement of claim filed with the federal court on Tuesday, Cell Film Holdings LLC said it intended to file a motion to identify the currently anonymous defendants that it said shared copies of the film Cell, an adaptation of a Stephen King novel that was released this summer on video-on-demand (VOD) and to negative reviews.

Fresh lawsuit filed in Stingray, Music Choice dispute

Stingray Digital Group Inc. has responded to a patent infringement lawsuit filed by competitor Music Choice and filed its own suit against Music Choice alleging illegal business activities.

In June, Music Choice, a Pennsylvania-based multi-platform video and music network, filed a complaint for patent infringement against the Montreal-based company.

Snapchat facing patent infringement lawsuit

A Canadian company is suing Snapchat Inc. alleging it is infringing on its patented technology. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE …

Voltage appealing disclosure costs in piracy case

Rogers Communications Inc. should not be able to charge for the release of the personal information of a customer accused of violating the copyright of Voltage Pictures LLC, the film production company said in new court documents appealing a July federal court decision.

Court OKs disclosure of customer info in Voltage case

Rogers Communications Inc. must disclose the personal information of a customer accused by Voltage Pictures LLC of violating its copyright, according to a court decision that experts said clarifies the notice-and-notice system isn’t a good vehicle for such disclosures.

Music Canada settles with isoHunt

Music Canada has reached a settlement with isoHunt Web Technologies Inc. in a copyright infringement lawsuit, years after the isoHunt website shut down.

The organization, which represents major record companies in Canada, said in a press release Monday that under the settlement, isoHunt and its founder, Gary Fung, are liable for a total of $65 million in damages.

Set-top box retailer involved in software development, BDUs claim

A trio of telecom companies are doubling down on their assertion that preloaded set-top box retailers are complicit in TV piracy, according to new court documents filed in their ongoing fight to permanently end the sale of the devices loaded with software they say allows users to access their content for free.