Development
Broken Promises: Utility Standards and Patent Applications in Canada
The last day of June 2017 saw the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) quash the controversial Promise Doctrine. The issue at hand in AstraZeneca Canada Inc v Apotex Inc was whether the Promise Doctrine should be held as the correct standard of utility under the Patent Act. The SCC’s ruling finds the Promise Doctrine unsound […]
What Makes It My Molecule: A Look at Professor Ronald Pearlman’s Genome Editing Work
This past November, Professor Ronald E. Pearlman from York University’s Department of Biology gave a talk [1] at Osgoode Hall Law School to discuss the potential of the innovative CRISPR genome editing system. Central to the talk was the evolving nature of genome editing technology and the ethical concerns that come with its growing breadth of […]
The Partnership on AI: A Modern Manhattan Project?
On June 29, Sam Harris delivered a TED Talk in which he posed the question: “can we build artificial intelligence without losing control of it?” He proposed the founding of “something like a Manhattan project on the topic of artificial intelligence” to answer his question. On September 28, leading Silicon Valley AI developers entered into a “Partnership […]
Pole Vault in Rio 2016: A Contest of Skill or a Contest of Patents?
With the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics getting started on August 5th, there is no time like the present to explore the evolution of patents relating to the vaulting pole. Originally, pole vaulting was a practical way to cross obstacles, such as rivers or enemy walls. Inevitably, this led to competitions among Ancient Greeks, Cretans and Celts. […]
The Future of Copyright in a Global Context
This past March, Toronto hosted the 55th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA). This year’s ISA Annual Convention brought together over 5300 scholars, practitioners, and students to discuss “Geopolitics in an Era of Globalization”. As intellectual property-based industries become increasingly implicated in global economic, social, cultural, and political discussions, copyright issues are becoming more […]
Would a Keyboard by Any Other Name Feel as Sweet? BlackBerry Sues Ryan Seacrest’s Typo
BlackBerry is suing Ryan Seacrest’s iPhone keyboard case company Typo for patent infringement. The suit – which also alleges trade dress infringement, dilution, unfair business practices and unjust enrichment – has garnered headlines in Canada and the US.
iCanada: Budget 2014 and the Shape of a Digital Economy Strategy
While many Canadians were justifiably preoccupied with the athletic achievements and disappointments taking place at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, they may have overlooked the fact that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released his 10th consecutive budget on February 11th, 2014. Budget 2014, entitled The Road to Balance: Creating Jobs and Opportunities, sets out the Government of […]
The Race for the Next Innovative Visionary
Entrepreneurs create ideas that turn into worldwide sell-out products. Whichever country has the talent to conceive of these products will have a thriving economy. For these reasons, various governments are developing programs to attract entrepreneurial talent to their country. It is, therefore, not surprising that both the Canadian and American governments have announced their intentions […]
For Your Eyes Only: American Science Scandal Brings Possession of Scientific Data to Forefront
When Judy Mikovits had a ‘keystone’ scientific discovery widely discredited, resulting in the loss of her job, it is unlikely that she considered the state of the intellectual property laws governing the work that she performed for her former employer, the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI). However, in November 2011, following the initiation of civil action […]