Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Copyright Law Blogs -> Michael Geist

Copyright Law

: Michael Geist

Quebecor Opens Door to Canadian Three Strikes Policy

By Michael Geist

The CRTC's net neutrality hearing submissions have generated several comments that link net neutrality with copyright.  As noted yesterday, CIRPA believes that content blocking of P2P sites should be considered.  Quebecor, which owns Videotron, a leading Quebec ISP, goes even further.  While ISPs in countries such as New Zealand are pushing back against "graduated response" policies that would create a three strikes and you're out policy terminating subscribers based on unproven allegations of copyright infringement, Quebecor argues that CRTC network management policies should account for the possibility of a Canadian three strikes model.

The Quebecor submission [zip] includes the following:

Certains participants à la présente instance ont déjà fait état de situations où le contrôle de contenus peut être bénéfique non seulement pour les utilisateurs de services Internet mais pour la société en général.  On peut penser au contrôle des pourriels et des virus, ou à la pornographie infantile.  À cette liste pourrait éventuellement s’ajouter des mesures de protection du droit d’auteur pouvant possiblement s’inspirer des modèles de riposte graduée déjà adoptés dans d’autres pays occidentaux.

Translated, Quebecor argues in favour of certain instances of ISPs controlling content, including anti-spam or child pornography blocking.  Moreover, it suggests that copyright policies that build upon the graduated response policies in other countries should be added to the list of content controls that benefit society. 

The Quebecor submission achieves a remarkable combination - arguing against net neutrality and for a three strikes approach that would terminate its own subscribers.  That any ISP could demonstrate such hostility toward its own customers provides a clear indicator of the utter lack of broadband competition in Canada and serves as a warning that the New Zealand fight could eventually make its way here.

Full post as published by Michael Geist on February 25, 2009 (boomark / email).