Orphan Works Hackathon: Final Report of the Concepts, Process and Insights

Introduction As the first collaboration of its kind, in February 2016, IP Osgoode and The Copyright and International Trade Policy Branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage, came together to organize the “Orphan Works Licensing Portal Hackathon”, a multi-day hackathon to develop options for a new online system to process licensing of Canadian orphan works […]

The Deal of the Century: An Interview with Ed Fast, Former Canadian Trade Minister - Part 2

Edward D. Fast is a Member of Parliament, former Trade Minister, and Canada’s representative throughout much of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. This is part 2 of the interview, in which we discuss specifics of the agreement, particularly issues in IP. Part 1 can be found here.

Call for Papers - LAWS Special Issue on "IP in the New Technological Age: Rising to the Challenge of Change"

Each day we seem to encounter a new technological development that changes, in subtle but significant ways, how we consume information, conduct business, manage our personal health, or simply communicate with one another. Inevitably, with such developments, intellectual property (IP) and related areas of the law are implicated. This Special Issue provides an opportunity to […]

The Artificial Intelligence Revolution

A few thoughts on Prof. Jean-Gabriel Castel’s talk, Fully Autonomous Artificial Super-Intelligence: Is it a threat to the human race or a blessing? How can it be controlled? Introduction Before they died, my parents told me stories of how the world once was … They remembered a green world, vast and beautiful. Filled with laughter […]

Wikimedia vs BUS: How to Regulate Copyright on Public Art in the Digital Age

If you’re thinking about posting on Instagram one more selfie from your recent trip to Sweden, think again. OffeSntlig Konst, an open database where visitors can see descriptions, maps and images of public works, was recently found guilty of copyright infringement by the Supreme Court of Sweden. According to the court ruling, the platform, owned […]

Privacy Injunctions in the Age of the Internet and Social Media: PJS v News Group Newspapers

The reposting of this article is part of a cross-post agreement with Cyberlex. You’re a celebrity and had a threesome. Your partner wasn’t one of them. You want the affair to remain private. You go to a court in England where your family resides and get an interim injunction. It prevents the English press from publishing […]

Spokeo: Will U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision Impact Privacy Damages in Canada?

The re-posting of this article is part of a cross-posting agreement with CyberLex. The Spokeo decision’s requirement that there be a concrete injury in order to ground privacy damages is not just a U.S. issue. Canadian courts have been wrestling for some time with the question of what damages look like in the context of […]

QaD tlhIngan pong yab bang chut? Is Klingon protected by copyright law?

Alec Peters may be the world’s biggest Star Trek fan. Sure, plenty of Trekkies (or Trekkers, if you prefer) have written fan fiction based on the TV series and movies. A number of fans have even created fan videos. But how many of them have raised more than a million dollars to produce a mockumentary […]

The Deal of the Century: An Interview with Ed Fast, Former Canadian Trade Minister

The Deal of the Century: An Interview with Ed Fast, Former Canadian Trade Minister The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is the largest trade agreement ever, made between 12 nations comprising 40% of the world’s economy. In an article written by Barack Obama, who championed the agreement, he claims the TPP will “write the rules of the […]

2016 CMW Global Forum Breakfast Focuses on the Power of Music to Heal Communities Affected by War and Conflict

How can we use music to heal and inspire communities in the aftermath of war, conflict, and division? That was the topic of this year’s Global Forum Networking Breakfast, an interactive panel session sponsored by Music Canada and one of the marquee events of Canadian Music Week 2016, held on May 6th at the Sheraton […]