What is the Canadian Government Doing About Broadcast Flag?
The Canadian government has not yet announced any policy initiatives regarding the adoption of the broadcast flag program. However, officials at Industry Canada have recognized that the United States is the driving force on this issue, stating in the August 17, 2004 issue of Canadian Communications Reports (subscription service only) that once the U.S. adopts the broadcast flag, Canada may be forced to follow suit because televisions sold in Canada are usually made with the U.S. market specifications in mind. This means that Canadian equipment will include the technology even if not legally mandated by the Canadian government. Industry Canada may view this as a reason to regulate proactively in the area. This position assumes that there will be no benefit to providing equipment that does not comply with the broadcast flag. This is not the case. If the Canadian market is less regulated than the U.S. market, then there is the possibility that newer and better products will be available t
