Within North America,  Canada and the United States (US) present a picture in contrasts in key policy areas crucial to safeguarding the internet as an open, equitable and democratic platform for citizen participation and empowerment.
The US and Canada are the largest trading partners, and share the longest undefended border, of any two countries in the world. While the US is known for its military and capitalist might, Canada is recognised for its role as an international peacekeeper, and envied for its universal healthcare and strong social safety net. Relations between the two countries have generally been amicable, though the tone has fluctuated in recent decades.
Under the Bush administration (2000-2008), the US government saw significant setbacks in transparency provisions, freedom of information, and privacy protection as a result of its preoccupation with the “war on terrorism”. During that same period, the Canadian government was heralded as the standard bearer in digital transparency and privacy initiatives. But since re-election in late 2008, Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper’s embattled minority Conservative government has battened down the hatches at the Prime Minister’s Office and has scaled back access to information initiatives.
The historic 2008 election of Barack Obama as the president of the US, and his huge popularity in Canada, may signal a new chapter in US-Canada relations.  Many Canadians are hopeful that Obama’s open-government initiatives, his pledge for transparency, his savvy with social media, and his strong support for net neutrality  will spill over to Canada.
As both countries grapple with the fallout of the 2008 economic crisis, it is interesting to compare the policy initiatives of their administrations, particularly those directed at telecommunications and media reform. This report therefore focuses on the stimulus plans and broadband access, copyright reforms, and access to knowledge policies in both countries.
Stimulus spending and net neutrality
Obama began his presidency with the enormous task of restoring confidence to the badly stricken financial sector and bailing the US economy out of its worst downturn in decades. One of his first acts as president was to pass a USD 787 billion economic stimulus package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 
The plan included USD 7.2 billion for broadband development and access programmes. Of this, USD 4.7 billion is allotted to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The BTOP “provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, to enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers, and to encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service.”  The programme underscores the close connection between the internet, job creation and economic recovery.
The BTOP embodies the key principles of net neutrality. All grant recipients must observe “non-discrimination and network interconnection obligations.”  In other words, broadband providers must ensure that users can connect to anyone, anywhere on the internet. In addition, they may not block or filter content based on bandwidth, origins or protocols as long as the content and protocols are legal.
While supporters of open internet praise the provision,  big telecommunication operators decry the added regulation as unnecessary interference. To ensure monopolistic operators also adhere to net neutrality, Congressman Edward Markey and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo introduced the Internet Freedom and Preservation Act in August 2009.  The bill is designed to ensure that the internet remains an open and non-discriminatory platform. It also enforces transparency by internet service providers (ISPs) so that consumers are fully aware of what they are paying for.
If passed, the bill will likely influence Canadian policy. In the summer of 2009, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was engaged in Network Management Hearings.  While Canadian policy makers will not simply follow the US lead, US policy does have implications for Canadian decisions, and in the case of net neutrality, the Internet Freedom and Preservation Act may well be worth emulating. 
Social media coming of age in politics
That the Internet Freedom and Preservation Act should be introduced early in Obama’s presidency is perhaps not surprising, given that Obama was an outspoken promoter of net neutrality during his presidential campaign. As Karen Tumult of TIME Magazine notes:
It's a buzz that Obama is finding new and creative ways to fuel, adapting to a world in which the concept of community has grown to include MySpace and Facebook. No campaign has been more aggressive in tapping into social networks and leveraging the financial power of hundreds of thousands of small donors. Nor has any other campaign found such innovative ways to extend its reach by using the Internet. 
Once in office, Obama continued to employ digital media to foster a return to openness in the US federal government. The Open Government Initiative  has been central to this strategy. It was mandated to create recommendations for an Open Government Directive responsible for ensuring transparency in government. New federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra has been engaging in public consultations via mail, email, town hall meetings and electronic forums. 
In the meantime the official White House website  h]as been radically transformed to reflect the policy directives of the new leader. The site is focused on providing greater transparency and citizen engagement. Moreover, Obama’s new Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra has begun a radical initiative to make all government information available through a single online clearing house  driven by Web 2.0 technologies. ]In effect the site operationalises the Freedom of Information Act requirement that agencies make public their most requested information. Kundra and Obama’s Director of Citizen Participation Katie Stanton argue that this “context-driven government” will improve accessibility of information and better protect privacy. 
Examples of how various US government agencies are using social media to harness input from employees and from the public are growing, from the Office of Science and Technology Policy blog and the space agency NASA’s Clickworkers,  to the IdeaFactory of the Transportation Security Administration, and Regulations.gov by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency. 
Declining democracy in Canada?
While open government initiatives are growing in the US, the contrast with Canada could not be more marked. Harper came to power at the head of a young, inexperienced, coalition party with a minority government, in the wake of a federal corruption scandal  that removed a long-standing Liberal majority from power. This has had an important impact on his approach to transparency.
He has used party and cabinet discipline extensively to prevent any embarrassing slip-ups that might undermine the legitimacy of his government.  The Prime Minister’s Office is on lockdown, conservative members of parliament are strictly muzzled,  and the prime minister’s website has become much more oriented towards promoting the government’s legitimacy than opening a dialogue with citizens. 
Given this situation, the government has shifted the bureaucracy’s approach to transparency in important ways. Having campaigned on the importance of government accountability, Harper introduced a Federal Accountability Act,  and has prioritised greater transparency in federal contracting.  But in 2008, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat quietly eliminated the Coordination of Access to Information Requests System (CAIRS), a system used to track access to information requests,  and in February of 2009, the federal Access to Information Commissioner published a damning report charging the prime minister and his cabinet with dragging their feet on public information requests.  These moves have led to a chorus of voices lamenting declining democracy in Canada. 
Dissatisfied with waning government transparency, various citizen groups have begun to monitor government initiatives. For example, Visible Government  has launched disclosed.ca, a tool for searching federal contract disclosures across government departments over the past few years. A coalition called savethenet.ca is ensuring that citizen concerns for net neutrality are addressed by lawmakers, while SpeakOutOnCopyright.ca seeks to inform the public about ongoing reforms to copyright. 
At the local level, groups such as civicaccess.ca have been urging their municipal governments to adopt open government practices. After considerable input from local citizens, the City of Vancouver  became the first municipality in Canada to adopt a resolution in May 2009 that endorsed open and accessible data for citizens, the use of open standards, and the procurement of open source software. Other Canadian cities are following suit. The City of Calgary is considering a resolution on opening its data to the public, while Toronto Mayor David Miller promised an open city initiative  to be launched in late 2009. 
Copyright and citizen participation
Transparency and consultation have not been a hallmark of the Canadian government’s recent attempts to update domestic copyright policy either. Both the US and Canada signed on to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) internet treaties that update copyright protection in the digital environment. But while the US implemented the treaties in 1998 through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), they were never ratified in Canada. The US has been pressuring Canada to implement DMCA-like legislation that would see heavy penalties for file sharing of copyrighted materials, criminalise the circumvention of digital locks, set the terms of ISP liability in terms of notice and takedown, and see limited fair dealing expansion, among others. So far attempts by the government to pass Bill C-61, the Copyright Amendment Act, have failed. 
The changes proposed in C-61 followed the DMCA closely, effectively blurring the distinction between criminal counterfeiting activities and legitimate uses or sharing of digital contents. These unjustly harsh laws reflect the influence of copyright lobbyists representing the entertainment industry. They serve to protect outmoded business models that are increasingly losing market share in the digital environment to the detriment of creative production and educational activities.
For example, under the DMCA, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued thousands of music file sharers, resulting in hundreds of out of court settlements of undisclosed financial penalties. In the most recent case, Capitol Records, a member of RIAA, successfully sued a single mother for distributing 24 songs over peer-to-peer networks and was awarded a whopping USD 1.92 million in damages.  Lawsuits such as these have a chilling effect on legitimate peer-to-peer activities such as the production of open and free software, or sharing of educational resources. This is because educators and programmers tend to err on the side of caution for fear of “breaking the law”, even though it is within their rights to do so.
It is not surprising then that citizens and copyright stakeholders in Canada have expressed strong objections to the DMCA-like content of Bill C-61. Citizens also objected to heavy corporate influence and lack of public consultation in earlier attempts to pass the bill. Perhaps in response to these concerns, the latest attempt at reform has included online consultations  and town hall meetings across the country. By August 2009, the government had received over 3,000 submissions, with an overwhelming number expressing objection to Bill C-61, support for expanded fair use/fair dealing protections, a desire for a less draconian approach to dealing with alleged copyright violators, and stronger personal use copy and back-up protections. 
The public’s right to access public knowledge
While Canada considers Bill C-61, the US is facing a battle over public access to public knowledge. The year 2009 saw the reintroduction of the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) by Senators John Cornyn and Joe Lieberman. This bill would require federal agencies with an annual research budget of USD 100 million to provide the public with online access to peer-reviewed research publications stemming from public funding. The senators believe access to publicly funded research will speed up discoveries and innovations, enable new business and social opportunities, and maximise returns on publicly invested funds.
The bill met with strong resistance by publishers of academic journals when it was first introduced in 2006. These companies profit from the sale of peer-reviewed journal subscriptions to wealthy institutions, and in this way make use of copyright barriers to protect their market. This prevents the efficient and equitable flow of publicly funded knowledge, and results in a highly inefficient and highly inequitable system of research dissemination.
The FRPAA reflects a growing worldwide trend among funding agencies, research institutions and universities, to leverage their investment in research by maximising the dissemination of results.  The passage of this bill would make a huge amount of research available to the public. The benefits extend beyond research, as patients would be able to learn more about their conditions from medical publications, students and teachers would be able to access authoritative resources without added permission, while policy makers could make better decisions based on most recent evidence.
In Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research put in place a public access policy in 2007,  while other major funding agencies in Canada are deliberating on the appropriate policy. However, political leaders in Canada have yet to address open access to publicly funded research, and no Canadian university has taken the lead on this front.
While open access to publicly funded knowledge may not appear to be a pressing political issue, a government’s approach to the issue reflects its understanding of the importance of the internet as the engine of innovation and the changing nature of knowledge production and dissemination in the digital environment. In a networked society, knowledge production is shifting from central and proprietary modes to highly decentralised and participatory practices. Yet copyright laws and public policy for knowledge access have not kept pace with these fundamental changes. The US and Canadian lawmakers are in a position to bring in the appropriate balance of commercial interests with the public’s needs and rights to participate and benefit from the knowledge society. It remains to be seen whether stimulus programmes such as the BTOP will lead not only to improved broadband access for the underserved, but to more innovative services and business models by a greater diversity of players in the marketplace, something that is lacking at the moment. If passed, the FRPAA and the Internet Freedom and Preservation Act would certainly have a domino effect on Canada and the rest of the world – and so their development is being watched with eager anticipation.
 For reasons of space and comparison, only Canada and the United States are discussed in this report.
The Canadian Press (2008) Obama would win in Canada: Poll, Toronto Star, 7 March. www.thestar.com/article/310541
Gilles, C. (2009) Canada’s love affair with Barack Obama, Maclean’s, 13 February. www2.macleans.ca/2009/02/13/canadas-love-affair-with-barack-obama
 See for example the postings here: www.savetheinternet.com. The over 2,000 applications to the BTOP from highly diverse applicants attest to the fact that ample content and access providers do not see net neutrality requirements as a hindrance but as an opportunity. Applicants include “state, local, and tribal governments; nonprofits; industry; anchor institutions, such as libraries, universities, community colleges, and hospitals; public safety organizations; and other entities in rural, suburban, and urban areas.”
 The bill is numbered H.R. 3458. The full text of the bill can be downloaded here: www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/111-hr3458-20090731.pdf (Unlike elsewhere in the world, although not yet passed, the bill is called an “Act”.)
 Tumult, K. (2007) Obama’s Viral Marketing Campaign, TIME Magazine, 5 July.
 See their blog posting on “New Technologies and Participation” at: www.whitehouse.gov/blog/New-Technologies-and-Participation
 Regulations.gov collects public comment on agency rulemakings. See: www.whitehouse.gov/open/innovations/Regulations-gov-Exchange
 Known as the Sponsorship Scandal.
 In the Canadian system, the legislature can demand an election in the event they lose confidence in government.
 Globe and Mail (2006) Harper restricts ministers' message, 17 March.
 The report comes in the wake of growing animosity between the Access to Information Commissioner and the Prime Minister’s Office. In 2006 the Commissioner published a report (www.infocom.gc.ca/specialreports/2006special-e.asp#Introduction) condemning government proposals to reform the ATI Act and Commission.
 This initiative was set up by University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist.
 CBC News (2009) City of Vancouver embraces open data, standards and source, 22 May. www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/05/22/tech-vancouver-open-source-standards-software-city.html
 The Mayor says that “[i]ndividuals will find new ways to apply this data, improve city services, and expand their reach. By sharing our information, the public can help us to improve services and create a more liveable city. And as an open government, sharing data increases our transparency and accountability.” For details see: visiblegovernment.ca/blog/2009/04/13/toronto-announces-open-data-plan-at-mesh09
 In June 2008, a Copyright Amendment Act (Bill C-61) was introduced in the House of Commons, but it did not move forward due to an election call later that year. A second attempt by the re-elected Conservative government to introduce Bill-C61 in early 2009 also failed.
 The FRPAA follows the successful path already taken by the National Institute of Health with its Public Access Policy (www.nature.com/news/2009/090407/full/458690a.html), as well as by private funders like the Wellcome Trust in the United Kingdom, and universities such as Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). See also Groen, F., Chan, L. and Guédon, J.-C. (2007) Open Access in an International Perspective: A Review of Open Access Policies in Selected Countries. www.sshrc.ca/site/about-crsh/publications/international_open_access_e.pdf
Katika Amerika ya Kaskazini, Canada na Marekani (US) kutoa picha katika tofauti katika maeneo muhimu ya sera muhimu kwa kulinda mtandao kama wazi, haki na jukwaa la kidemokrasia kwa ajili ya ushiriki wa raia na nguvu. Marekani na Canada ni washirika wakubwa wa kibiashara na wana mpaka mrefu zaidi usio na ulinzi kati ya nchi mbili duniani. Wakati Marekani inajulikana kwa nguvu zake za kijeshi na za kifedha, Canada inatambuliwa kwa jukumu lake kama mlinzi wa amani wa kimataifa, na kuonewa kwa huduma yake ya afya ya ulimwengu na mtandao wake mkubwa wa usalama wa kijamii. Uhusiano kati ya nchi hizo mbili kwa ujumla umekuwa wa kirafiki, ingawa sauti imebadilika katika miongo ya hivi karibuni. Chini ya utawala wa Bush (2000-2008), serikali ya Marekani iliona mapungufu makubwa katika utoaji wa uwazi, uhuru wa habari, na ulinzi wa faragha kama matokeo ya wasiwasi wake na "vita dhidi ya ugaidi". Katika kipindi hicho hicho, serikali ya Canada ilitangazwa kama mtangazaji wa kiwango katika uwazi wa dijiti na mipango ya faragha. Tangu kuchaguliwa tena mwishoni mwa mwaka 2008, serikali ya Conservative ya Waziri Mkuu wa Canada Steven Harper imefunga mlango wa ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu na kupunguza upatikanaji wa habari. Uchaguzi wa 2008 wa Barack Obama kama rais wa Marekani na umaarufu wake mkubwa nchini Canada, unaweza kuashiria sura mpya katika mahusiano ya Marekani na Canada. Wakanada wengi wana matumaini kwamba mipango ya Obama ya serikali ya wazi, ahadi yake ya uwazi, ujuzi wake na vyombo vya habari vya kijamii, na msaada wake mkubwa kwa utatu wa mtandao utaenea hadi Canada. Wakati nchi zote mbili zinakabiliwa na athari za mgogoro wa kiuchumi wa 2008, ni muhimu kulinganisha mipango ya sera ya utawala wao, haswa wale waliolenga mawasiliano ya simu na mageuzi ya vyombo vya habari. Kwa hiyo ripoti hii inazingatia mipango ya kichocheo na upatikanaji wa broadband, mageuzi ya hakimiliki, na upatikanaji wa sera za maarifa katika nchi zote mbili. Obama alianza urais wake na kazi kubwa ya kurudisha imani kwa sekta ya fedha iliyoshambuliwa vibaya na kuokoa uchumi wa Marekani kutoka kwa kushuka kwake mbaya zaidi katika miongo kadhaa. "Mmoja wa hatua zake za kwanza kama rais alikuwa kupitisha $ 787 bilioni kichocheo cha kiuchumi mfuko inayojulikana kama ""American Recovery na Reinvestment Act ya 2009.""" Mpango huo ulijumuisha dola bilioni 7.2 kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya mtandao wa upana na programu za upatikanaji. Zaidi ya dola bilioni 4.7 zimetengwa kwa ajili ya programu ya Broadband Technology Opportunities (BTOP). BTOP hutoa ruzuku kusaidia kuanzishwa kwa miundombinu ya broadband katika maeneo yasiyo na huduma, kuongeza uwezo wa broadband katika vituo vya kompyuta vya umma, na kuhamasisha kupitishwa kwa huduma ya broadband. BTOP inaweka kanuni muhimu za kutokuwamo kwa mtandao. "Wapataji wote wa ruzuku lazima watimize ""maagizo ya kutobaguliwa na kuunganisha mtandao"" Kwa maneno mengine, watoa huduma za mtandao wa upana lazima wahakikishe kwamba watumiaji wanaweza kuunganisha na mtu yeyote, mahali popote kwenye mtandao." Kwa kuongezea, hawawezi kuzuia au kuchuja yaliyomo kulingana na upana wa bendi, asili au itifaki, maadamu yaliyomo na itifaki ni halali. Wakati wafuasi wa mtandao wa wazi wanasifu utoaji huo, waendeshaji wakubwa wa mawasiliano ya simu wanalaani udhibiti ulioongezwa kama kuingilia bila haja. "Kupitia mpango wa ""Usaidizi wa Mtandao"" wa Congressman Edward Markey na Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, sheria ya uhuru wa mtandao na uhifadhi ilitolewa mnamo Agosti 2009." Muswada huo umebuniwa ili kuhakikisha kwamba mtandao unabaki kuwa jukwaa la wazi na lisilo la ubaguzi. Pia inaweka wazi wa watoa huduma za mtandao (ISPs) ili watumiaji wawe na ufahamu kamili wa kile wanacholipa. Ikiwa itapitishwa, sheria hiyo yaweza kuathiri sera za Kanada. Katika majira ya joto ya 2009, Tume ya Redio ya Canada na Televisheni ya Canada (CRTC) ilishiriki katika Mashauriano ya Usimamizi wa Mtandao. "Wakati watunga sera wa Canada hawatakuwa tu kufuata uongozi wa Marekani, sera ya Marekani ina athari kwa maamuzi ya Canada, na katika kesi ya utatu wa mtandao, Sheria ya Uhuru wa Mtandao na Uhifadhi inaweza kuwa na thamani ya kuiga. """ """Kutoka kwa sheria ya uhuru wa mtandao na uhifadhi wa mtandao, ambayo inapaswa kuanzishwa mapema katika urais wa Obama, labda haishangazi, kwa kuzingatia kwamba Obama alikuwa mtetezi wa wazi wa kutokuwamo kwa mtandao wakati wa kampeni yake ya urais." "Karen Tumult, mwandishi wa Time, alisema: ""Ni buzz kwamba Obama ni kutafuta njia mpya na ubunifu ya mafuta, kukabiliana na ulimwengu ambapo dhana ya jamii imeongezeka kujumuisha MySpace na Facebook." Hakuna kampeni iliyokuwa na nguvu zaidi katika kutumia mitandao ya kijamii na kutumia nguvu ya kifedha ya mamia ya maelfu ya wafadhili wadogo. Wala hakuna kampeni nyingine ambayo imepata njia za ubunifu kama hizo za kupanua upatikanaji wake kwa kutumia Intaneti. Baada ya kuwasili madarakani, Obama aliendelea kutumia vyombo vya habari vya dijiti kukuza kurudi kwa uwazi katika serikali ya shirikisho la Marekani. Mpango wa Serikali ya Uwazi umekuwa muhimu kwa mkakati huu. Ilikuwa na mamlaka ya kuunda mapendekezo kwa ajili ya Maagizo ya Serikali ya wazi kuwajibika kwa kuhakikisha uwazi katika serikali. Afisa Mkuu wa Teknolojia wa Shirikisho la Marekani, Aneesh Chopra, amekuwa akifanya mazungumzo ya umma kupitia barua pepe, mikutano ya baraza la mji na vikao vya elektroniki. Kwa upande wake, tovuti rasmi ya White House imebadilishwa kabisa ili kutafakari sera za kiongozi mpya. Tovuti hiyo inazingatia kutoa uwazi mkubwa na ushiriki wa raia. "Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Habari wa Obama, Vivek Kundra, ameongeza kuwa ""mfano wa kwanza wa kuanzisha mfumo wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao wa mtandao.""" Kwa kweli tovuti inafanya kazi ya mahitaji ya Sheria ya Uhuru wa Habari kwamba mashirika yanafanya umma habari zao zinazohitajika zaidi. Kundra na Mkurugenzi wa Ushirikiano wa Raia wa Obama Katie Stanton wanasema kwamba hii "serikali inayoendeshwa na muktadha" itaboresha upatikanaji wa habari na kulinda faragha vizuri. Mifano ya jinsi mashirika mbalimbali ya serikali ya Marekani yanatumia mitandao ya kijamii ili kuvutia maoni ya wafanyakazi na umma ni kuongezeka, kutoka kwa blogi ya Ofisi ya Sera ya Sayansi na Teknolojia na shirika la anga la NASA's Clickworkers, kwa IdeaFactory ya Usimamizi wa Usalama wa Usafiri, na Regulations.gov na Ofisi ya Habari na Masuala ya Udhibiti na Shirika la Ulinzi wa Mazingira. Uharibifu wa demokrasia nchini Kanada? Wakati mipango ya serikali ya wazi inaongezeka nchini Marekani, tofauti na Canada haiwezi kuwa wazi zaidi. Harper alikuja madarakani akiwa kiongozi wa chama cha vijana, kisicho na uzoefu, cha muungano na serikali ya wachache, baada ya kashfa ya ufisadi ya shirikisho ambayo iliondoa wengi wa Liberal wa muda mrefu kutoka madarakani. Hii imekuwa na athari muhimu juu ya mbinu yake ya uwazi. Ametumia sana nidhamu ya chama na baraza la mawaziri kuzuia makosa yoyote ya aibu ambayo yanaweza kudhoofisha uhalali wa serikali yake. Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu imefungwa, wanachama wa bunge wa kihafidhina wamezuiwa, na tovuti ya Waziri Mkuu imeelekezwa zaidi kwenye kukuza uhalali wa serikali kuliko kufungua mazungumzo na wananchi. Kwa kuzingatia hali hii, serikali imebadilisha mbinu ya uburudani kwa njia muhimu. Baada ya kufanya kampeni juu ya umuhimu wa uwajibikaji wa serikali, Harper alianzisha Sheria ya Uwajibikaji wa Shirikisho, na ametoa kipaumbele uwazi zaidi katika mkataba wa shirikisho. Mwaka 2008, Baraza la Hazina la Kanada liliondoa mfumo wa utaratibu wa maombi ya upatikanaji wa habari (CAIRS) na mnamo Februari 2009, Kamishna wa Upatikanaji wa Habari wa Shirikisho alichapisha ripoti ya mashtaka dhidi ya Waziri Mkuu na baraza lake la mawaziri kwa kuchelewesha maombi ya habari ya umma. Hatua hizi zimesababisha kwaya ya sauti zinazosikitika juu ya kupungua kwa demokrasia nchini Canada. Wakiwa hawafurahii upatikanaji wa uwazi wa serikali, vikundi mbalimbali vya raia vimeanza kufuatilia mipango ya serikali. Kwa mfano, Serikali inayoonekana imezindua disclosed.ca, chombo cha kutafuta ufunuo wa mkataba wa shirikisho katika idara za serikali katika miaka michache iliyopita. "Sehemu ya ""Savethenet"" inahakikisha kuwa wasiwasi wa raia juu ya utatu wa mtandao unashughulikiwa na wabunge, wakati ""SpeakOnCopyright"" inatafuta kuwajulisha umma juu ya mageuzi ya sasa ya hakimiliki." Katika ngazi ya mitaa, vikundi kama vile civicaccess.ca vimekuwa vikihimiza serikali zao za manispaa kupitisha mazoea ya serikali ya wazi. Baada ya maoni mengi kutoka kwa wananchi wa eneo hilo, Jiji la Vancouver likawa manispaa ya kwanza nchini Canada kupitisha azimio mnamo Mei 2009 ambalo liliunga mkono data wazi na inayopatikana kwa raia, matumizi ya viwango vya wazi, na ununuzi wa programu ya chanzo wazi. Majiji mengine ya Kanada yanafuata mfano huo. Jiji la Calgary linafikiria azimio la kufungua data zake kwa umma, wakati Meya wa Toronto David Miller aliahidi mpango wa mji wa wazi utaanzishwa mwishoni mwa 2009. Haki za uchapaji na ushiriki wa raia Uwazi na ushauri haukuwa alama ya majaribio ya hivi karibuni ya serikali ya Canada ya kusasisha sera ya haki za uchapaji wa ndani. Marekani na Canada zimejiunga na shirika la World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) la kimataifa la kutetea haki za wamiliki wa vitu vya digital. Mkataba huo ulifanywa mwaka 1998 na Marekani kupitia sheria ya Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) na haukuidhinishwa na Canada. Marekani imekuwa ikiwashinikiza Canada kutekeleza sheria kama DMCA ambayo itaona adhabu nzito kwa kushiriki faili za nyenzo zilizohifadhiwa, kuharibu kufuli za dijiti, kuweka masharti ya dhima ya ISP katika suala la taarifa na kuondoa, na kuona upanuzi mdogo wa biashara ya haki, kati ya mengine. Hata hivyo, majaribio ya serikali ya kupitisha sheria ya C-61 ya marekebisho ya hati miliki yameshindwa. Mabadiliko yaliyopendekezwa katika C-61 yalifuata DMCA kwa karibu, kwa ufanisi kufuta tofauti kati ya shughuli za uhalifu za bandia na matumizi halali au kushiriki maudhui ya dijiti. Sheria hizo kali zisizo za haki huonyesha uvutano wa wanasheria wa haki za uchapaji wanaowakilisha sekta ya vitumbuizo. Hizi hutumika kulinda mifano ya biashara ya zamani ambayo inapoteza zaidi na zaidi sehemu ya soko katika mazingira ya dijiti kwa hasara ya uzalishaji wa ubunifu na shughuli za elimu. Kwa mfano, chini ya DMCA, Chama cha Viwanda vya Rekodi cha Amerika (RIAA) kilishtaki maelfu ya wanashiriki faili za muziki, na kusababisha mamia ya makubaliano ya nje ya mahakama ya adhabu za kifedha zisizofunuliwa. Capitol Records, mwanachama wa RIAA, alishinda kesi ya mama mmoja kwa kusambaza nyimbo 24 kwenye mitandao ya Peer-to-Peer na alipewa dola milioni 1.92 kwa uharibifu. "Madai kama haya yana athari ya kutisha kwa shughuli halali za wenzao kama vile uzalishaji wa programu ya wazi na bure, au kushiriki rasilimali za elimu. """ Hii ni kwa sababu waalimu na watengenezaji wa programu huwa na makosa upande wa tahadhari kwa hofu ya <unk> kuvunja sheria<unk>, hata ingawa ni ndani ya haki zao kufanya hivyo. Ni ajabu kwamba wananchi na wamiliki wa haki za uchapaji nchini Canada wametoa pingamizi kali kwa DMCA-kama maudhui ya Bill C-61. Wananchi pia walipinga ushawishi mkubwa wa ushirika na ukosefu wa mashauriano ya umma katika majaribio ya awali ya kupitisha muswada huo. Labda kwa kujibu wasiwasi huu, jaribio la hivi karibuni la mageuzi limejumuisha mashauriano ya mtandaoni na mikutano ya ukumbi wa mji kote nchini. Mnamo Agosti 2009, serikali ilikuwa imepokea zaidi ya mawasilisho 3,000, na idadi kubwa ya watu waliopinga Muswada C-61, kuunga mkono ulinzi wa matumizi ya haki na biashara ya haki, tamaa ya mbinu ya chini ya udanganyifu wa kushughulikia walaghai wa haki za wamiliki, na ulinzi wa nguvu wa nakala na nakala za kibinafsi. Haki ya umma ya kupata maarifa ya umma: Wakati Canada inazingatia Muswada C-61, Marekani inakabiliwa na vita juu ya upatikanaji wa umma kwa maarifa ya umma. Mwaka 2009 sheria ya Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) ilianzishwa na John Cornyn na Joe Lieberman. Sheria hiyo inahitaji mashirika ya shirikisho yenye bajeti ya utafiti ya kila mwaka ya dola milioni 100 kutoa umma upatikanaji wa mtandaoni wa machapisho ya utafiti yaliyochunguzwa na wenzao yanayotokana na ufadhili wa umma. Seneta wanaamini upatikanaji wa utafiti unaofadhiliwa na umma utaharakisha uvumbuzi na uvumbuzi, kuwezesha fursa mpya za biashara na kijamii, na kuongeza mapato ya fedha zilizowekezwa na umma. Sheria hiyo ilikabiliwa na upinzani mkali na wachapishaji wa majarida ya kitaaluma wakati ilipoanzishwa kwa mara ya kwanza mnamo 2006. Kampuni hizi zinapata faida kutoka kwa uuzaji wa usajili wa jarida la ukaguzi wa wenzao kwa taasisi tajiri, na kwa njia hii hutumia vizuizi vya hakimiliki kulinda soko lao. Hii huzuia mtiririko mzuri na wa haki wa maarifa yaliyofadhiliwa na umma, na matokeo katika mfumo usio na ufanisi na usio wa usawa wa kueneza utafiti. FRPAA inaonyesha mwelekeo unaoongezeka ulimwenguni kote kati ya mashirika ya ufadhili, taasisi za utafiti na vyuo vikuu, kuongeza uwekezaji wao katika utafiti kwa kuongeza usambazaji wa matokeo. Kupitishwa kwa muswada huu kungefanya kiasi kikubwa cha utafiti kupatikana kwa umma. Faida hizo zinaenea zaidi ya utafiti, kwani wagonjwa wataweza kujifunza zaidi juu ya hali zao kutoka kwa machapisho ya matibabu, wanafunzi na walimu wataweza kupata rasilimali za mamlaka bila ruhusa ya ziada, wakati watunga sera wanaweza kufanya maamuzi bora kulingana na ushahidi wa hivi karibuni. Taasisi ya Utafiti wa Afya ya Canada ilianzisha sera ya upatikanaji wa umma mnamo 2007, wakati mashirika mengine makubwa ya ufadhili nchini Canada yanajadili sera inayofaa. Hata hivyo, viongozi wa kisiasa nchini Canada bado hawajazungumzia upatikanaji wa wazi wa utafiti unaofadhiliwa na umma, na hakuna chuo kikuu cha Canada ambacho kimechukua uongozi katika suala hili. Ingawa upatikanaji wa wazi wa maarifa ya umma inaweza kuonekana kuwa suala la kisiasa la haraka, mbinu ya serikali ya suala hilo inaonyesha uelewa wake wa umuhimu wa mtandao kama injini ya uvumbuzi na asili ya mabadiliko ya uzalishaji wa maarifa na usambazaji katika mazingira ya digital. Katika jamii ya mtandao, uzalishaji wa maarifa ni kuhamia kutoka modes kati na wamiliki kwa mazoea sana decentralized na ushirikiano. Hata hivyo, sheria za hakimiliki na sera za umma za upatikanaji wa maarifa hazijaendelea na mabadiliko haya ya msingi. Wanachama wa bunge la Marekani na Canada wana uwezo wa kuleta usawa sahihi wa maslahi ya kibiashara na mahitaji ya umma na haki za kushiriki na kufaidika na jamii ya maarifa. "Imeonekana kuwa mipango ya kichocheo kama vile BTOP itaongoza sio tu kwa kuboresha upatikanaji wa mtandao wa pana kwa wale ambao hawajahudumiwa, lakini kwa huduma za ubunifu zaidi na mifano ya biashara na utofauti mkubwa wa wachezaji katika soko, kitu ambacho hakipo kwa sasa. """ Ikiwa itapitishwa, Sheria ya Uhuru wa Mtandao na Uhifadhi wa Mtandao bila shaka itakuwa na athari ya domino nchini Canada na ulimwengu wote kwa hivyo maendeleo yao yanafuatwa kwa hamu. Kwa sababu ya nafasi na kulinganisha, tu Canada na Marekani ni kujadiliwa katika ripoti hii. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika gazeti la The Canadian Press, Obama alishinda uchaguzi wa urais wa Marekani, uliofanyika tarehe 7 Machi, mwaka wa 2008 katika mji wa Toronto, Marekani.""" "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya ""Gilles, C. (2009) Canada's Love Affair with Barack Obama,"" Maclean's, 13 Februari 2009." "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa""" Maombi zaidi ya 2,000 kwa BTOP kutoka kwa waombaji tofauti sana yanathibitisha ukweli kwamba watoaji wa maudhui na upatikanaji wa kutosha hawaoni mahitaji ya utatuzi wa mtandao kama kizuizi bali kama fursa. Waombaji ni pamoja na <unk> serikali za serikali, za mitaa, na za kikabila; mashirika yasiyo ya faida; viwanda; taasisi za nanga, kama vile maktaba, vyuo vikuu, vyuo vikuu vya jamii, na hospitali; mashirika ya usalama wa umma; na vyombo vingine katika maeneo ya vijijini, vitongoji, na mijini. <unk> Muswada ni namba H.R. 358 - Nyota "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika taarifa ya awali ya Bunge la Marekani, ""Publickknowledge.org"" (pdf 11113458-03971) inaonyesha kuwa sheria hiyo haijawahi kupitishwa na serikali ya Marekani." Tumult, K. (2007) Kampeni ya Uuzaji wa Virusi ya Obama, Gazeti la TIME, Julai 5. Tazama chapisho lao la blogi juu ya "Teknolojia Mpya na Ushirikiano" kwenye: www.whitehouse.gov/blog/New-Technologies-and-Participation Regulations.gov hukusanya maoni ya umma juu ya sheria za shirika. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ukurasa wa ""Within the White House: The Sponsorship Scandal"" (Within the White House: The Sponsorship Scandal) ni ""Uchunguzi wa Utaratibu wa Serikali"" (Regulations-Government-Exchange) unaofahamika kama ""Sponsorship Scandal.""" Katika mfumo wa Canada, bunge linaweza kudai uchaguzi iwapo litapoteza imani katika serikali. "Globe na Mail: Harper ""Hatimaye inatoa ujumbe wa waziri""" Ripoti hiyo inakuja baada ya uhasama unaoongezeka kati ya Kamishna wa Upatikanaji wa Habari na Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu. Katika mwaka wa 2006, Kamishna huyo alichapisha ripoti (www.infocom.gc.ca) iliyoshutumu mapendekezo ya serikali ya kurekebisha Sheria ya ATI na Tume. Mpango huu ulianzishwa na profesa wa sheria wa Chuo Kikuu cha Ottawa Michael Geist. BBC News: Jiji la Vancouver linakubali data ya wazi, viwango na chanzo, 22 Mei "Cabinet ya teknolojia ya Vancouver, CC BY-NC-SA, ilitangaza ""Mafunzo ya teknolojia ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya teknolojia ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya teknolojia ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver"" na ""Mafunzo ya Vancouver.""" Kwa kushiriki habari zetu, umma unaweza kutusaidia kuboresha huduma na kuunda mji unaofaa zaidi kuishi. "Kama serikali ya wazi, kushiriki data huongeza uwazi na uwajibikaji wetu. <unk> Kwa maelezo tazama: visiblegovernment.ca <unk> blog.ca <unk> 2009 <unk> 13 <unk> Toronto <unk> announces <unk> open data plan at mesh <unk> 09 Juni 2008, Sheria ya Marekebisho ya Haki za Uandishi (Bill C-61) iliwasilishwa katika Bunge la Commons, lakini haikuendelea mbele kwa sababu ya wito wa uchaguzi baadaye mwaka huo. """ Jaribio la pili la serikali ya Conservative iliyochaguliwa tena kuanzisha Bill C61 mwanzoni mwa 2009 pia lilishindwa. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, mpango huo unafuata njia ya mafanikio ambayo tayari imechukuliwa na Taasisi ya Kitaifa ya Afya na Sera yake ya Upatikanaji wa Umma (www.nature.com) na wafadhili wa kibinafsi kama vile Wellcome Trust nchini Uingereza na vyuo vikuu kama vile Harvard na Taasisi ya Teknolojia ya Massachusetts (MIT).""" "Groen, F., Chan, L., na Guedon, J.C., (2007) Open Access in an International Perspective: A Review of Open Access Policies in Selected Countries, ni kitabu cha utafiti kuhusu sheria za upatikanaji wa habari kwa njia ya wazi katika nchi zilizochaguliwa.""" www.shrc.ca.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.gov.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.shrc.au: www.au:shrc.au: www.au:shrc.au: