Meanwhile in Canada…another unaccountable law professor, Michael Geist appears to be running interference for U.S. Tech Firms as Canada considers home grown anti-piracy legislation. Fortunately Chris Castle at Music Tech Policy (and others) have done some excellent reporting on the Geist over the years. We are gonna rerun a few of these articles over the next few weeks so that it is clear to Canadian artists the ethical and intellectual makeup of this fellow. Lets start with the mysterious no bid government contracts he received for even more mysterious work. From 2010:
If you follow what passes for intellectual property policy “debate” online, you will no doubt have heard the anti-copyright amen chorus warming up about the lack of public consultation in the negotiation of the Anticounterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA.
This wringing of hands and wailing of the amici has particular resonance amongst non-governmental organizations, their advisors, their academic rock stars and breathless acolytes. The non-governmental organizations and academics, most prominently the very well funded Michael Geist, advisor to the US-backed Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, the Alcan of IP, who most frequently attach themselves to the negotiation of international copyright treaties originating in Geneva are particularly incensed.
These “NGOs” complain that the public is insufficiently consulted by—governmental organizations. In other words, the NGOs (self-appointed, frequently astroturf groups with shadowy funding) are complaining that the representatives of the public are insufficiently representative. Only the NGOs and professoriate…
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The Trichordist 
