News 

Weekly News (Jan 15th-21st)

Charnjot Shokar

Communications Governance in the News

Compiled by Charnjot Shokar

Research Assistant, Communications Governance Lab

M.A. Candidate, Communication and New Media, McMaster University

Canadian News: Jan. 15-21, 2018

International News: Jan. 15-21, 2018

Press Releases and Decisions: Jan. 15-21

Supreme Court of Canada

  • [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Vancouver Career College (Burnaby) Inc., dba Vancouver Career College, also dba CDI College, also dba Vancouver College of Art and Design also dba Eminata Group v. Vancouver Community College(B.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (37498) Intellectual property – Trade-marks – Confusion – Respondent bringing passing off action against applicant with respect to its trademarked name and acronym – In a passing off action concerning online activity, is the element of confusion to be assessed solely when an array of search results are presented to an internet user, or when the user actually visits a defendant’s website? – Does this Court’s holding in Masterpiece Inc. v. Alavida Lifestyles Inc., 2011 SCC 27 concerning “first impressions”, as applied to the internet search context, mean first impressions of the internet search results showing a defendant’s domain name, or first impressions of the defendant’s actual website? The application for leave to appeal is dismissed with costs
  • [DEFAMATION] Ville de Québec c. Association des pompiers professionnels de Québec Inc.(Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (37691) Labour relations — Grievances — Defamation — Liability of municipality — Special  mandate — Elected municipal councillor serving as vice‑chair of executive council responsible for labour relations matters acquiescing in defamatory statements made by journalist against group of unionized municipal employees during collective agreement renewal period — Whether municipality is liable for individual wrongful acts of elected municipal official in circumstances like those of this case — Whether municipality, through municipal officers, can and must exercise control over actions and words of elected municipal officials, including their public statements — Whether, in collective grievance context, principles enunciated in Bou Malhab v. Diffusion Métromédia CMR inc., [2011] 1 S.C.R. 214, as regards proof of personal injury must be interpreted differently than in any other class action: The application for leave to appeal is dismissed with costs
  • [PRIVACY] The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that the following appeal and application for leave to appeal were heard on January 16, 2018: Michel Ledoux c. Sa Majesté la Reine(Qc) (Criminelle) (Autorisation) (37779) (Oral hearing on leave application / Audition de la demande d’autorisation d’appel) Criminal law — Interception of private communications — Director of police force wiretapping certain rooms in police station in response to being harassed — Self‑defence — Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding that defence raised by applicant was defence of mistake of law, not mistake of fact — Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding that trial judge had erred in law by leaving self‑defence to jury: Dismissed
  • [PRIVACY] The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that the following appeal was heard on January 17, 2018: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of British Columbia v. Philip Morris International, Inc.(B.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (37524) Legislation – Interpretation – Civil procedure – Discovery – Evidence – Case management judge ordering production of anonymized individual-level data from provincial health databases – Did the British Columbia Courts err in ordering, notwithstanding the privacy protections of the  Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, S.B.C. 2000, c. 30, (the “Act”), production of the databases containing health care information of the residents of British Columbia – Are the health care databases either “health care records and documents of particular individual insured persons” or “documents relating to the provision of health care benefits for particular individual insured persons” and therefore not compellable under the Act – Does an order removing the names or other identifiers from the databases mean that they are no longer either “health care records and documents of particular individual insured persons” or “documents relating to the provision of health care benefits for particular individual insured persons” – Does a court have an overriding discretion, notwithstanding the privacy protections of the Act, to order production of the health care databases on the basis of “trial fairness”: Reserved

CRTC

  • [BROADCASTING] Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-21: APPROVED – Cowichan Valley Community Radio Society – Lake Cowichan, British Columbia – Request to revoke the broadcasting licence for the English-language, low-power community radio station CICV-FM Lake Cowichan
  • [BROADCASTING] Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-20: APPROVED – TELUS Communications Inc. – Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Terrace, Vancouver (including Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Whistler and surrounding areas), Vernon and Victoria, British Columbia; Calgary, Edmonton (including St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove and Stony Plain), Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie and Red Deer, Alberta; Saint-Georges, Sept-Îles, Baie-Comeau, Gaspé, Montmagny, Sainte-Marie, Mont Tremblant and surrounding areas, Quebec; and across Canada – Applications for authority to effect a multi-step corporate reorganization resulting in the transfer of various broadcasting assets to TCI
  • [BROADCASTING] Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-19: APPROVED – Comité de la Radio communautaire Huronne-Wyandot inc. – Wendake, Quebec – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate a Type B Native FM radio station in Wendake
  • [BROADCASTING] Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-17: Final offer arbitration request by Quebecor Media Inc. regarding the distribution of TVA Sports by Bell TV
  • [BROADCASTING] Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-12: APPROVED – Byrnes Communications Inc. – Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, Ontario – Application for authority to acquire from Vista Radio Ltd. the assets of the English-language commercial radio stations CJED-FM Niagara Falls and CFLZ-FM Fort Erie
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Decision CRTC 2018-18: Bell Canada – Application to modify the provision of various wholesale services – Public record: 8640-B2-201702200
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-22: Northwestel Inc. – Revision to Operation of the Yukon Mobile Radio System – Public record: Tariff Notice 1004
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-15: Streamlined Order – The Commission approves the following tariff application: Groupe Maskatel LP, TN 71
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-14: Streamlined Order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the ex parte application by Northwestel Inc., dated 13 December 2017 (TN 1009)
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-13: Bell MTS – Revision to Analogue Private Line – Public record: Tariff Notice 790

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Competition Bureau Canada

Democratic Institutions

  • 2018-01-17 Minister Gould hears from stakeholders on political party leaders’ debates in Toronto: Recognizing that a well-informed, engaged electorate is fundamental to the health and well-being of our democracy, the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions, met with a cross section of leaders from media, academia and public interest groups today in Toronto to hear their ideas for the creation of an independent commission or commissioner to organize federal political party leaders’ debates in advance of the 2019 election
  • 2018-01-15 Parliamentary Secretary Fillmore hosts first stakeholder roundtable on political party leaders’ debates in Halifax: Recognizing that a well-informed, engaged electorate is fundamental to the health and well-being of our democracy, Parliamentary Secretary Andy Fillmore, on behalf of the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions, today met with regional leaders from media, academia and public interest groups to hear their ideas for the creation of an independent commission or commissioner to organize federal political party leaders’ debates in advance of the 2019 election

Copyright Board Canada

  • Recent Decisions
    • [COPYRIGHT] Application by the Royal Canadian Mint for the reproduction of the image of the Angel of Victory sculpture created by Cœur de Lion McCarthy
      File: 2017-UO/TI-19

    • [COPYRIGHT] Access Copyright – Elementary and Secondary Schools (2010-2015)
    • Proposed Tariffs

Microsoft

Twitter

Facebook

Apple

Upcoming Events: Jan. 22-28, 2018

McMaster University

  • Communications Committee Lunch: McMaster students are invited to attend the first ever Communications Committee lunch, a place to discuss current news regarding communications governance. Topics such as privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information will be covered, using current news as the conversation catalyst. Join us at 12:30pm on Thurs., Jan. 25 2018 at the Phoenix Bar and Grill. Food will be provided!

Senate of Canada

  • The Senate sits on January 30, 2018

Canadian House of Commons

  • House reconvenes on January 29, 2018

Global Affairs Canada

  • 2018-01-19 Minister of International Trade to promote benefits of NAFTA and progressive trade in Montreal: The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade, will deliver a keynote speech to the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and co-host a NAFTA roundtable with Quebec’s Minister of the Economy, Science and Innovation, Dominique Anglade, in Montreal on Monday, January 22, 2018. Media are invited to a photo and video opportunity at the NAFTA roundtable.
  • 2018-01-05 Media accreditation for round six of NAFTA renegotiationsThe sixth round of the renegotiation and modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will take place in Montreal, Canada, from January 23 to 28, 2018
  • 2018-01-18 Ministers to meet in Montreal for round six of NAFTA renegotiations: The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative, and Ildefonso Guajardo, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, will meet in Montreal, Quebec, on Monday, January 29, 2018, as part of the NAFTA renegotiations.

Democratic Institutions

CRTC

  • Anticipated releases for the week of 22 to 26 January, 2018
    • Broadcasting Decisions
      • Decisions related to the applications listed below, considered by the Commission at the 28 November 2017 hearing:
      • Decisions related to the applications listed below, considered by the Commission at the 7 September 2017 hearing:
      • Application by Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of TVA Group Inc., regarding the condition of licence relating to the broadcast of advertising material for the French-language mainstream sports service TVA Sports
    • Telecom Decision
      • Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now Canada, the National Pensioners Federation, and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre – Application to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy 2016-496 regarding affordability
        Public record: 8662-P8-201702853
    • Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Decision
    • Open Consultations

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Parks Canada