With respect to copyright and intellectual property issues, Wall Communications' principal areas of expertise include (i) economic research and policy analysis and (ii) research and analytical support.

i) Economic Research and Policy Analysis

Wall Communications conducts economic research and policy analyses on matters involving copyright and intellectual property issues. The firm conducted a study for Industry Canada on the activities of Canadian collective societies and rights holders associations, Internet intermediaries (such as Internet access and service providers) and Internet content providers with respect to the treatment of copyrighted works distributed over the Internet (Study of Copyright and Internet Intermediaries, Executive Summary). In addition, the firm assisted the Department of Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada in preparing a questionnaire intended to identify unique database-related originality factors that could be subject to copyright protection. After presenting an overview of the use of economics in copyright tariff setting to a Workshop sponsored by the Copyright Board of Canada, the article was recently published in both French and English.

ii)  Research and Expert Witness Support

Wall Communications has provided research and analytical support to the Copyright Board of Canada in respect of ongoing tariff and arbitration proceedings. For example, Wall Communications provided research and analytical support in both the 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 private copying proceedings. The firm assisted the Board analyze and assess evidence filed during these proceedings relating to the establishment of levies on blank audio recording media used for the private copying of sound recordings. Wall Communications also assisted the Board in proceedings to establish the initial neighbouring rights royalty fees for the communications of musical works by radio broadcasters, royalty fees for the use of sound recordings by digital pay audio service providers and the initial royalty fees for the reproduction of sound recordings by commercial radio stations for public performance purposes.

Wall Communications has also prepared expert testimony on behalf of parties appearing before the Copyright Board of Canada and has appeared as expert witnesses for the oral proceedings in the areas of commercial radio tariffs, CBC tariffs, reproduction rights tariffs and distant signal tariffs.

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