This is the second year Professor Geist has received this honour, which celebrates intellectual property visionaries and decision-makers including judges, artists, inventors, bloggers, campaigners, academics, and others.
He is hailed for being “a voice to contend with” in the debate over Bill C-32, the proposed Canadian copyright legislation introduced last year that died with this year's elections. His writing is praised for its “considered analysis” and “lack of blog-fevered rant.”
Other recipients include the World Intellectual Property Office's Director General Francis Gurry, Google Senior copyright counsel Fred von Lohmann, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, and European Patent Office President Benoît Battistelli.
Congratulations, Professor Geist!