Quebec government in court battle over distribution of public data | Metro News
lterrat's bookmarks 2017-06-06
Summary:
"A website owned by a U.K.-based company is fighting the Quebec government in court for prohibiting it from collecting public information on firms in the province and then making it available to help thwart fraud and other crime.
OpenCorporates.com claims to have public information on 125 million companies in 120 jurisdictions. It is petitioning Quebec Superior Court to declare it can legally collect, publish and distribute the public data found in the province's business registry.
The provincial government is contesting the petition but said Monday it is sensitive to OpenCorporates' concerns and is reviewing its law.
Journalists around the world have used OpenCorporates to write articles on fraud and money-laundering, such as the recent Panama Papers scandal, which exposed how multinationals hide cash in offshore tax havens."