Creating a marketplace framework for Canada’s digital content advantage

The Government of Canada is asking Canadians our views on how to improve our country’s digital advantage. Arguing that Canada is only in the ‘middle of the pack’ in terms of adopting and exploiting the value of digital technology, the federal government states that “we need to do better”; hence, the launch of the digital economy strategy, first announced in the March 2010 Throne Speech and Budget. At the Canada 3.0 conference in Stratford Ontario earlier this week, Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement released a consultation paper to solicit Canadians’ views. He also promised key stakeholder roundtables, though details aren’t yet available.

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is playing a key part in the development of this strategy from the perspective of digital content and creation. Acknowledging the innovation of Canadian creators, the consultation paper states that “With the right framework, digital media entrepreneurs have the ability to create Canada’s digital content advantage with vision and boldness to unleash the potential of content to capitalize on our investments … and drive more innovation”.

For Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore, the framework focuses on the marketplace. The chapter on Canada’s Digital Content Advantage emphasizes the responsibility of the government to ensure the right polices and measures are in place for digital entrepreneurs to succeed: “The Government of Canada’s role is to put in place a marketplace framework in which our creators, inventors and entrepreneurs have the incentives to innovate, the confidence to take risks and the tools to succeed.”

The paper does not discuss the role of digital media of sharing Canada’s diverse cultural voices with each other, or bringing the Canadian cultural perspective to the world, although Minister Clement’s speech did make reference to this.

The consultation is open until 9 July 2010. For more information, go to http://de-en.gc.ca/home/