FISA Archives

Reflections on the new CRTC CASL regulations

Earlier this month the CRTC published its final regulations under the new Canadian Anti-SPAM legislation (CASL). The regulations have now been published in the Canada Gazette. The Commission has now also provided an explanation of its reasons for why it made, or refused to make, changes to its previously issued draft regulations.

Industry Canada has followed a separate route. Rather than finalizing its regulations, it will publish a new set of regulations to obtain further feedback from the public. In view of the significant problems identified by approximately 60 associations, companies, and organizations as well as individuals that filed submissions with Industry Canada and the Commission this approach makes sense.…

View Post

Will it be illegal to recommend a dentist under Canada’s new anti-spam law (CASL)?

Over the holidays I got an email from one of my relatives visiting Toronto. She asked me to recommend a dental surgeon for an unexpected tooth extraction. She also asked me to refer her to other dentists to get additional recommendations. I sent her an email with a recommendation to get treatment from a dental surgeon who I encouraged her to see and also provided the name of a family dentist who could make other recommendations. My email included a link to a website of the clinic operated by the dental surgeon.…

View Post

Canada’s new anti-spam Law: too much of a good thing?

Here is a copy of the op-ed published by The Hill Times today on CASL.

Most people would agree that unwanted commercial emails – commonly called spam – are awful. Spam wastes our time. It clogs our inboxes and can be full of scams, malware and fraudulent, false and misleading messages. So who wouldn’t have cheered when Canada finally decided to outlaw spam and related afflictions?

With the September 7 conclusion of the public comment period on the new anti-spam law, known as CASL (for Canada’s anti-spam law), Canada has taken a major step toward finalizing legislation designed to outlaw practices such as sending commercial electronic messages without recipients’ consent or using misleading information in the online promotion of products.…

View Post

Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations – Much Work Remains

Canada’s new anti-SPAM/anti-malware law, or CASL, was passed by Parliament in late 2010. The draft Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations, which were intended to clarify and flesh out the law, were published for public consultation earlier this summer. Fifty-seven organizations and individuals filed comments by the September 7, 2011 deadline. The message from these commentators is clear: while all support the goal of reducing unwanted commercial electronic messages (CEMs) and malware, the draft regulations miss the mark, and much work remains before CASL can be proclaimed into law.…

View Post

Fixing CASL: comments on the draft CRTC and Industry Canada regulations

Today is the last day for filing comments on the Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations proposed by Industry Canada and the CRTC. Submissions to the CRTC on the draft CRTC CASL regulations are available at the Commission’s website http://ow.ly/6o8Xq.

Here are our comments filed earlier today.

Salzman Sookman CASL regulation comments

View more documents from bsookman

For more information about CASL, see, CASL: the unofficial FAQ, regulatory impact statement, and compliance guideline.

…

View Post

Government of Canada launches anti-spam information web site

Industry Canada has launched a web site to inform Canadians about Canada’s new anti-spam legislation. The site has some useful information about the law which is simply referred to as “Canada’s new anti-spam law”, as the law has no short name. The information at the site includes “key facts”, an “FAQ”, information about the new Spam Reporting Centre, and how the law will be enforced and administered. A link to the law is also at the site.

While the basic information on the site is useful, it does not delve into the many complexities and difficulties Canadian businesses will have to grapple with to try and comply with the new law.…

View Post

Draft FISA (Anti-SPAM) regulations published by CRTC and Industry Canada (updated)

The Canadian Anti-SPAM law (CASL or FISA) contemplated that regulations would need to be promulgated before the Act is proclaimed into force. CASL contemplated two sets of regulations: one from Industry Canada and the other from the CRTC. The CRTC published draft regulations for comment purposes on June 30, 2011. The Commission will accept comments from interested persons that it receives on or before September 7, 2011, a date extended by the CRTC from the original date of 29 August 2011.…

View Post

Developments in Computer, Internet and E-Commerce Law (2010-2011)

Here are the slides used in my presentation to the Toronto Computer Lawyers Group earlier today, The Year in Review: Developments in Computer, Internet and E-Commerce Law (2010-2011). It covers significant developements since my talk last spring.

The slides include a summary of the following cases and statutory materials:

Privacy:

Cite Cards Canada Inc. v. Pleasance, 2011 ONCA 3

Leon’s Furniture Limited v. Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner), 2011 ABCA 94

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2010 FC 736

Nammo v.…

View Post

Rethinking CASL

SPAM is awful. It wastes our time. It clogs the Internet. It is full of scams, malware and fraudulent, false and misleading messages. Who wouldn’t cheer when Canada finally decided late in 2010 to outlaw SPAM and related afflictions of malware, spyware, address harvesting and sending false and misleading commercial electronic messages?

Indeed, there was much satisfaction when Canada’s anti-SPAM law, also known as FISA[2], was given royal assent on December 15, 2011. After a lengthy and thorough review process, including consultations and Parliamentary reviews, Canadians could look forward to the toughest anti-SPAM law in the world just as soon as the regulations were finalized, which is expected this summer.…

View Post

Naming Canada’s Anti-Spam/Anti-Spyware Law

Last week in a blog post I asked for suggestions to help name Canada’s new anti-SPAM and anti-spyware law, Bill –C-28. The Bill has no short title and needs one.

You clearly had fun trying to come up with a name. Some of you suggested a few names. Some suggestions were serious (more or less). Others were hysterical, many reflecting your thoughts about the Bill, or about SPAM. Here are your proposals to name the Bill.

Please read them and let me know which ones you like or would choose.…

View Post

Subscribe