3 Count: Romanian Plagiarist

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1: Copyright Bill Finally Clears Commons

First off today, the CBC is reporting that, in Canada, the controversial copyright bill C-11 has passed the House of Commons and is expected to also pass the Senate before the end of the legislative session for summer break. The most controversial element of the bill is a DMCA-like component that prohibits the breaking or circumvention of digital locks, including various forms of digital rights management (DRM) software. The bill, if passed by The Senate, would take effect this summer.

2: Euro Copyright Legislation Dead, Says Politician

Next up today, Scott Roxborough at The Hollywood Reporter writes that the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) may be dead in the European Parliament. The agreement was an attempt to harmonize intellectual property enforcement across signatories was signed by the EU as well as the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries but it has been hotly debated and protested in the EU, prompting three EU committees to come out against it. According to Alexander Alvaro, a member of the European Parliament, the bill to ratify the treaty has almost no chance of passing. Alvaro said that other legislation to introduce a “three strikes” system to Europe, which would disconnect suspected pirates from the Web after two warnings, is also unlikely to pass in its present form.

3: PM’s Plagiarism Scandal Puts Spotlight on Culture of Academic Cheating in Romania

Finally today, the Associated Press reports that Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who has been in office less than two months, is facing allegations that he plagiarized his doctoral thesis. This comes after two of his appointed Education Ministers have had to resign amid similar allegations of plagiaris. The scandals have raised serious questions about the country’s academic dishonesty policies and whether this is a politically-motivated attack on the Prime Minister or indicative or a larger problem with the country’s education system following the fall of communism in the 1989.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

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