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CBC
15-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
How the trade war with the U.S. could fix Canada's internet
When life hands you tariffs, fix the internet. At least, that's what Cory Doctorow hopes might happen. Because, he says, Canada's internet is in desperate need of saving. "We created a policy environment that rewards companies and executives who do things that are bad for the internet and bad for internet users, and that does not punish them when they do things that harm us," said Doctorow, a tech journalist, activist, and host of the CBC podcast Understood: Who Broke the Internet?. He believes that the current trade troubles could actually free Canada to fix how it polices the internet — more in line with the rest of the world, but less restrictive than the U.S. That's because the current state of Canada's internet policy is directly connected to trade pressure — specifically tariff threats — surrounding internet and copyright law from the United States decades ago. But since free trade with our southern neighbours is already in turmoil, Doctorow says it's time to unlock our internet by removing laws that benefit big tech companies, and opening up access for users. The start of internet laws Like many countries, Canada's internet laws can be traced back to two treaties from the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1996. It asked signatories to protect copyrights online. Canada signed the two treaties, but wouldn't ratify them until over a decade later. But the U.S. moved quickly and ratified its version of copyright laws in 1999, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in internet and e-commerce, says the American act heavily favoured copyright holders, but held few protections for users. And the U.S. wanted other countries to follow their lead. "They then oftentimes either use direct bilateral trade pressure or trade agreements to try to take that U.S. position and make it the standard for how you implement a treaty that was otherwise very flexible in nature," said Geist. In 2007, Stephen Harper's Conservative government introduced a bill that Geist says was basically a Canadian version of the DMCA. Geist said that for decades, copyright laws in Canada protected the copyright holder, without limiting how a person could use a product. But the new bill allowed for digital locks on software, which are technologies used to protect copyrighted content and prevent people from tinkering with the program. "This idea that you could use technology, now aided by legislation, to effectively remove or lock users out of what is their rights struck me as enormously problematic," said Geist. What are digital locks, and why do they matter? One example of a digital lock, says Doctorow, is how Apple prevents iPhone users from downloading third-party apps onto the device. Apple says it's for your protection, as it vets the apps in its store to prevent you from downloading anything harmful. But because of the digital lock, Apple is also able to take 30 per cent of the cost of every purchase made on its app store without any competition. And Doctorow says its argument of security doesn't exactly check out. "This is no longer about you trusting Apple and choosing Apple. This is about Apple requiring you to trust them," said Doctorow. "Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you and doesn't give you the key, that lock isn't there for your benefit." Following pushback from Geist and others on the initial proposed bill, the government introduced a new version. But much to Geist's disappointment, it still had those digital locks he was concerned about. The reason? The U.S. threatened that if locks weren't included, Canada could say goodbye to tariff-free trade with the United States. "The U.S. had been clear that it wanted copyright reform, but even more than just any old copyright reform, it wanted U.S.-style legal protections for these digital locks," said Geist. "If there was one thing this legislation was going to do, it was going to remove this ongoing trade irritant with the United States." The bill was pushed through and labelled Bill C-11. And its impact was felt quickly. Doctorow says people working on accessibility software to programs they didn't own, such as screen readers for ebooks, had to stop, because they were worried about what digital locks might be waiting for them. A group that was building tools to access public government data had to halt their work because their lawyers advised them it could get them in trouble. "What happened was you saw a procession of extremely abusive technologies creating the opportunities for extremely high margins at the expense of Canadian consumers. And no Canadian company stepped up to bypass or correct these market failures," said Doctorow. That's because, thanks to digital locks, they legally couldn't. James Moore, the heritage minister at the time, told CBC in an email that he still agrees and supports the bill, saying "Canada has obligations to our trading partners to protect [intellectual property]." What can be done Canada's trade relationship with the U.S. is now more uncertain than ever, thanks to President Donald Trump's unpredictable regime of tariffs. But even though it's a bad situation, Doctorow says, it's an opportunity for Canada to do something it should've done before. Since it was trade pressure that pushed Canada to go above and beyond what the WIPO treaties required, and that trade situation is in flux, Doctorow says Canada has the chance to change its digital copyright laws to something more in line with the rest of the world, and isn't as restrictive as the U.S.'s laws. "We could change our law so that it was only illegal to break a digital lock if you also infringed someone's copyright. You don't have to infringe anyone's copyright to install your own app store on your iPhone," said Doctorow. The European Union moved in this direction in April, by fining Apple 500 million euro ($788-million Cdn) for not allowing third-party app stores on its phones. The fine was issued under the EU's Digital Markets Act, designed to give consumers and businesses more choice and prevent big tech companies from cornering digital markets. This wouldn't just give you more freedom on your phone, says Doctorow. It also means a company like Apple would have to compete with other companies to earn your business. Tinkerers and innovators in Canada could build ways to improve all aspects of how we use the internet, says Doctorow, converting the internet from a walled garden to a public space. But Geist isn't so confident it will happen. "I fear that … in our zeal to deal with the very real threats that we see from Trump on tariffs and on a number of other things with respect to Canada, we'll give on some issues simply because the hope will be that that will be enough to address some of these other concerns that are ultimately seen as even more significant," said Geist.
India Gazette
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
SWITZERLAND-GENEVA-ASIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL
(250613) -- GENEVA, June 13, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Performers from India present traditional Indian musical during the fifth Asia Culture Festival at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, June 11, 2025. The fifth Asia Culture Festival was held on Wednesday at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, under the theme "Jewels of Asia." Participants from over 20 Asian countries showcased their unique jewelry, handicrafts, and traditional clothing. The festival also featured a variety of Asian folk performances. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)
Observer
02-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
Oman exerts efforts to support innovation
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman is making dedicated efforts to support research and innovation, which has positively reflected in its advancement by 10 positions in the Global Innovation Index (GII) issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over four years — rising from 84th to 74th place. Additionally, Oman improved its ranking in innovation outputs by 23 spots, moving from 109th to 86th. Dr Saif bin Abdullah al Haddabi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation for Research and Innovation, affirmed that the recent commendation by the World Bank for Oman Vision 2040 — which places significant emphasis on human capital development, education quality enhancement, and fostering a culture of research and innovation — reflects the concerted efforts of all relevant stakeholders working diligently to achieve the vision's goals. He explained that the innovation index is one of the most critical indicators as it influences competitiveness and other key metrics. The index is measured by WIPO, drawing data from the World Bank, Unesco and 13 other global institutions. At the national level, he noted, the index is measured through infrastructure and digital framework programmes. This includes research centres such as the Muscat Innovation Complex as an established infrastructure, as well as Oman Research and Education Network, which covers nearly 99% of institutions and connects all universities and colleges in Oman, offering over 23 services. He highlighted the development of digital infrastructure through Oman Research Portal, an integrated digital platform managing research programmes — evaluating, funding and tracking their performance. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a research equipment platform cataloguing and classifying research tools used by academics, industrial institutions and other stakeholders. - ONA
Times of Oman
02-06-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Oman making efforts to be among top in global innovation index by 2030
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman is making dedicated efforts to support research and innovation, which has resulted in its advancement by 10 positions in the Global Innovation Index (GII) issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over four years—rising from 84th to 74th place. Additionally, Oman improved its ranking in innovation outputs by 23 spots, moving from 109th to 86th. In this context, Dr. Saif Abdullah Al Haddabi, Undersecretary for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, affirmed to Oman News Agency (ONA) that the recent commendation by the World Bank for "Oman Vision 2040"—which places significant emphasis on human capital development, education quality enhancement, and fostering a culture of research and innovation—reflects the concerted efforts of all relevant stakeholders working diligently to achieve the vision's goals. He stated that Oman, under "Oman Vision 2040," aims to rank among the top 40 countries in the Global Innovation Index by 2030 and among the top 20 by 2040. He explained that the innovation index is one of the most critical indicators in "Oman Vision 2040," as it influences competitiveness and other key metrics. The index is measured by WIPO, drawing data from the World Bank, UNESCO, and 13 other global institutions. At the national level, he noted, the index is measured through infrastructure and digital framework programs. This includes research centers such as the Muscat Innovation Complex as an established infrastructure, as well as Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN), which covers nearly 99% of institutions and connects all universities and colleges in Oman, offering over 23 services. He highlighted the development of digital infrastructure through Oman Research Portal, an integrated digital platform managing research programs—evaluating, funding, and tracking their performance. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a research equipment platform cataloging and classifying research tools used by academics, industrial institutions, and other stakeholders. Al Haddabi added that the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation implements numerous programs supporting scientific research in Oman, categorized into three main initiatives targeting academic, governmental, and industrial sectors. The Scientific Publishing Program, he noted, serves as an international benchmark for knowledge production, tracking publications in prestigious scientific journals. This programme enhances Oman's standing in the Global Innovation Index's knowledge output metrics. Since 2018, the Ministry has funded 2,228 research projects under the Academic Sector Research Support Program ("Performance-Based Institutional Funding"), including 475 projects last year worth approximately OMR2.4 million. Under the Strategic Research Programme for the government sector, addressing institutional challenges, 74 projects were funded, while the Industrial Sector's "Ijada" Program supported 61 projects with a total investment of OMR2.5 million. Al Haddabi emphasised that these integrated programmes, initiatives, and funding mechanisms collectively advance "Oman Vision 2040" objectives, elevate Oman's global rankings, and enhance the efficiency of national research and innovation. As for innovation and capacity-building programmes, he outlined 13 initiatives, including the National Program for Supporting Innovation Centres in Higher Education, the Student Graduation Projects to Startups Program, the Falling Walls Competition, and national research awards honouring scholars across sectors. Omani innovators and researchers also participate in international competitions such as the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the Kuala Lumpur International Invention Awards, and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. He touched on the four pillars of the National Innovation Strategy, namely Knowledge-Based Economic Diversification (Transforming traditional products into high-value outputs using technology and knowledge), Human Capital (Investing in education, skills, and cognitive development to foster innovative solutions), Institutional Integration (Strengthening collaboration among government, academic, and industrial entities to address national challenges) and Intellectual Property (IP) (Protecting innovators' rights and patents to ensure long-term investment in innovation, where IP assets like patents are key intangible resources for licensing or commercialization). On future plans, he stated that the Ministry is implementing structured strategies to support academic innovation through establishment and empowerment pathways, including six university incubators. Programs are designed to be flexible and scalable for maximum researcher and innovator benefit. Upcoming initiatives include launching "Oman Innovates," a national platform centralizing innovation services—facilitating access to support, registration, funding, and investor connections—to serve as Oman's digital innovation hub. In conclusion, Al Haddabi underscored the media's vital role in promoting scientific and innovation culture, which is fundamental to nurturing a generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. He observed growing awareness in schools and universities through competitions and events, reflecting the nation's progressive strides in research and innovation.
GSM Arena
29-05-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Oppo Find N5 Flip design possibly outed by patent filing
Oppo's last flip-style foldable was the Find N3 Flip, launched in 2023. Since then, nothing - it's been crickets only on this front, even though the company did come out with the book-style Find N5 already. Now, the design of what could be the upcoming Find N5 Flip may have been uncovered in a patent filing at the WIPO. This filing basically shows the entire design for a flip-style foldable, and it's not one that Oppo's used so far. That said, it is immediately identifiable as a member of Oppo's Flip line, with the cover screen to one side and the cameras arranged next to it. It has three cameras, as you can see, which is still a rarity for this form factor, but which the Find N3 Flip also boasted. They're arranged differently, however, more reminiscent of the Find N2 Flip in position, but as you can see they're not individual circles but part of a larger island - dare we say it, a rather Samsung-esque design. The cover display itself seems larger than that on the Find N3 Flip, which makes sense since growing these has been a trend in the market in the past few years. While these images do look compelling, keep in mind that companies often file for patents they never end up actually using, so this by itself doesn't in any way confirm that a Find N5 Flip is coming, nor that it would look like this. We'll let you know if we find out more. Via
