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Michael Geist's EFF Award

By Howard Knopf

Congratulations to Michael Geist on his EFF award.

Michael has done a superb job of teaching, challenging and pushing the envelope on issues such as copyright law, privacy, net neutrality and, above all, the right of Canadians to determine what?s best for our own sovereign country on these and other important issues. And he has taken this to a world stage.

I hope that this award serves as an example to other academics in Canada to speak out on important issues. That is their responsibility and should be the quid pro quo for their tenure. Too many Canadian academics have been too silent for too long, perhaps because they have been too comfortable.

Not Michael.

Michael has been threatened with litigation by the Hon. Sarmite Bulte:

"I am not going to sue him before the election but dammit, watch me after the election."

An influential lobby group went after him for his Toronto Star column:

"It seemed clear that the only outcome that would satisfy [CRIA] was getting rid of Geist, which wasn't even remotely in the cards."

And he has faced other confrontations and attacks from powerful forces on Bay Street and elsewhere.

Bravo, Michael. Canada needs you.

HK

Full post as published by Excess Copyright on February 22, 2008 (boomark / email).