Patent Strategies in Your First Few Years of a New Business

Introduction A new business that plans to bring a new and innovative product or service to market ought to address patents right from the first draft of their business plan.

W3C Releases Draft Do-Not-Track Compliance Standards

The re-posting of this article is part of a cross-posting agreement with CyberLex. In today’s Internet, advertising is ubiquitous. It is the main source of revenue for many web sites and services. It is also the subject of increasing scrutiny by privacy advocates and regulators, as advertisers and ad networks develop ever-more sophisticated means to […]

U.S. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) Releases Cybersecurity Assessment Tool

The re-posting of this article is part of a cross-posting agreement with CyberLex. On June 30, 2015, the FFIEC released its cybersecurity assessment tool designed to assist U.S. financial institutions and regulatory examiners identify inherent cybersecurity risks and determine preparedness level of financial institutions.  The cybersecurity assessment tool and other resources can be found here.

‘United We Play’ or ‘United We Sue Away’? The Copyrightability of Sports Moves

With the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games (the “Games”) upon us, IP enthusiasts are eagerly debating the issues surrounding the Games with respect to – well, IP law. One of the many debates permeating conversations is whether athletes can protect sports moves as intellectual property. For example, can a swimmer copyright a secret way of pulling their arms through water? […]

CBC vs. The World: Let the Broadcasting Games Begin

In the September 2012 battle for broadcast rights to the 2015 Pan American Games, CBC/Radio Canada emerged victorious from what was reportedly described as a "very aggressive bidding process with multiple bidders." In light of the difficult landscape shift CBC has experienced over the past two years, there was serious concern as to how the public broadcaster […]

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Discuss Performance Rights

It’s Toronto’s time to shine! This past October, Governor General David Johnston officially declared 2015 to be the “Year of Sport in Canada” and Toronto’s hosting of the Pan American Games is clearly one of the reasons why. The major sporting event is a fantastic opportunity for the city’s economic development. In fact, the Ontario […]

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The tangled history of Pro Football, Inc (PFI) and the issue of disparaging trademarks is back in the spotlight with recent accusations of bribery and an anti-Washington Redskins prime time commercial from the National Congress of American Indians.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! Ambush Marketing and the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games 2015

As with any other major sporting event, the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games 2015 will showcase elite athletes. Behind the scenes the marketing games will also be in full swing. These games involve ambush marketing, the bane of major sporting events and their sponsors.

Businesses Should Re-evaluate Approach to Privacy with Passage of Digital Privacy Act

The re-posting of this article is part of a cross-posting agreement with CyberLex. The Digital Privacy Act (Bill S-4) passed into law yesterday, introducing (among other things) significant fines and mandatory breach notification (not yet in force) into the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Organizations which handle personal information in the course […]

A Handcrafted Problem: Etsy's share price woes and IP infringement

Etsy describes itself as a "marketplace where people around the world connect, both online and offline, to make, sell and buy unique goods." For a site based on creativity and uniqueness, they have a surprisingly long history of high profile disputes between Etsy sellers and intellectual property owners. Among a myriad of other incidents, sellers have reportedly […]