ipblog.ca - Intellectual Property in Canada
This blawg focuses on intellectual property law, copyright, trademarks and Internet law in Canada.
Author: Richard P.W. Stobbe is an associate at Brownlee in Calgary, Canada.
Blawg Related Categories: Intellectual Property Law • Copyright Law • Trademark Law • Internet Law • International • North America • Canada • Associate
Recent Posts from ipblog.ca - Intellectual Property in Canada
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IP in the News
There is no shortage of intellectual property stories in the media. What used to be a “special interest” story is now mainstream news. Here are a few recent stories worth noting: The Globe and Mail® has…
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Internationalized Domain Names
ICANN announced on Friday that it has approved - in principle - the creation of domain names made up of non-Latin characters. The protocols that run today’s internet recognize domain names and internet addresses made up of…
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Business Method Patents: Debate Continues
The battle over patentability of software and business-methods is continuing in both Canada and the US. In the US, the Bilski case and its “machine-or-transformation” test is currently undergoing review at the Supreme Court level.…
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Executives Depart with Secrets and IP
Four key employees of a software company resign and start up a competing venture. The former employer stumbles. The new company aggressively targets the customers of the former employer, and develops into a successful and profitable business,…
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The Great Olympic Sweater Debate
Aside from disputes over beer labels, you can’t get much more Canadian than this one. When the Bay unveiled its line-up of Olympic gear last week, the knit sweater (pictured at left) attracted the attention…
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Video Games & Free Speech
Can a video game portray a character that looks like you, without your permission? There have been a number of disputes over the right of video-game publishers to use a person’s likeness - for example, the dispute over Kurt Cobain’s…
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Damages for Copyright Infringement
Where an infringer carries on with the infringing activity after the copyright owner has sent notice, damages can be higher. This is the finding of a Federal Court judge in Microsoft Corporation v. 1276916 Ontario Ltd.…
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Update: Changes to Canada’s Bankruptcy Laws
As we posted in IT Outsourcing during the “Climb Out” and IP Licenses and Bankruptcy, Canada’s bankruptcy laws have historically permitted certain contracts - including intellectual property licenses - to be “disclaimed” in the course of…
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Is a Website Operator Liable for User Comments?
Three recent decisions tackle this issue: In the US decision of Cornelius v. DeLuca, 2009 WL 2568044 (E.D. Mo. Aug. 18, 2009), bodybuilding.com (an online retailer of fitness and bodybuilding products), was sued over the content of…
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E-Commerce & Online Terms
Blockbuster operates an online movie rental service in the US, which is subject to a user agreement. In the recent US decision in Harris v. Blockbuster Inc., 2009 WL 1011732 (N.D. Tex. April 15, 2009),…