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Inspired by the excellent CAUT conference on Controlling Intellectual Property - The Academic Community and the Future of Knowledge I've posted a pdf of this paper which hasn't been published...

Patenting Life: Commodification, the Patent Regime, and the Public Interest

Abstract
This paper will look at bioinformatics and the various ethical issues raised by the patenting of life forms. Debates over life patents, specifically the 2002 Canadian Supreme Court decision which ruled against patenting the OncoMouse®, highlight how technological discourses on science and technology are inextricably integrated with prevailing economic discourses. The paper will also critique the creation of a patent regime which has privatized public knowledge and resources, and its institutionalization through the World Trade Organization’s TRIPS – the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights–and the tensions inherent when power is vested in the hands of corporations and public goods become transmogrified into private commodities.

Alternative Telecommunications Policy Forum
News Release
Oct 26, 2006

Proposed Telecom Policy Places Too Much Faith in Market Forces, Citizens’ Forum Warns

"We were looking at telecommunications policy through a social and community economic development lens rather than an industry lens,” according to Marita Moll and Leslie Shade, organizers of the Alternative Telecommunications Policy Forum held in Ottawa, October 19-21.

The Forum brought together policy experts, academics, and representatives from over a dozen community and public interest organizations across Canada to discuss the implications of telecommunications policy reforms currently being considered by Industry Minister, Hon. Maxime Bernier. The proposed reforms, which include weakening consumer protection guarantees and eliminating regulations aimed at protecting Canada’s cultural sovereignty in favour of maximizing market forces, were recommended last spring by the Liberal-appointed Telecommunications Policy Review Panel (TPRP).

Check out the various speakers' notes, blogs, webcasting, backgrounders, etc etc etc re the Alternative Telecommunications Policy Forum held in Ottawa 19-21 October.