General

IPOsgoode: Call For Applications

The application deadlines for a number of exciting opportunities with IPOsgoode is fast approaching! See below for more information.

Rooney Doesn’t Have To Pay Commissions Due To Unfair Restraint Of Trade

Brent Randall is a JD candidate at the University of Ottawa. On December 1, 2011, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ruled on a case involving English soccer superstar Wayne Rooney and his former agency, Proactive Sports Management Limited, over commission payments.  Among five issues the Court decided, the most important involved whether […]

Debate Over Hot-Tubbing In Patent Litigation

Tracy Ayodele is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School and currently enrolled in Professor Ikechi Mgbeoji’s Patents course, in Fall 2011. As part of the course requirements, students are asked to write a blog on a topic of their choice. Concerns surrounding expert testimony before the Courts, primarily the independence of experts, the length of […]

Weatherford: Patent Validity Attacks For Lack Of “Good Faith” Ruled Out In Canada

Grant W. Lynds is a partner in the Ottawa office of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, whose practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and patent prosecution. This case analysis has been re-posted with his permission. In recent years, Canada’s Federal Court has generated much debate with respect to whether patent applicants in Canada owe a “duty […]

Red Meat, Yellow Journalism & Reporting On The Copyright Alert System In The US

Chris Castle is an attorney based out of Los Angeles and San Francisco who represents artists, producers, songwriters, record labels, music publishers, film studios and technology companies. President Barack Obama and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo each worked very hard to bring about the voluntary agreement that was announced last week among ISPs and rights […]

European Commission Proposes Single Market For Intellectual Property Rights

Kalen Lumsden is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. On 24 May 2011 the European Commission released a communication to the European Parliament addressing the shortcomings and challenges of the current intellectual property rights regime. It proposes that a single, unified market address fragmentation problems and regulatory barriers in the European Intellectual Property […]

GuttenPlag: German Politician Brought Down By Anonymous Internet Activists

Taylor Vanderhelm is a JD candidate at the University of Alberta. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg stepped down in March 2011 from his position as German defence minister following revelations that he had plagiarized much of his 2006 doctoral thesis.

USTR Special 301 Report: Canada in US Hall of Shame for the Third Year Running

Mark Kohras is a JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. Every year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) releases its Special 301 Report. The report provides a detailed list of countries that the United States believes are deficient when it comes to intellectual property laws or enforcement. Perhaps it is no […]

Election 2011: Party Platforms on Digital Issues

Mark Kohras is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. It’s election season again, and Canada’s political parties are out in force, campaigning across the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the recent attention IP and technology issues have been garnering among the Canadian public, most of the political parties have specifically included digital issues as […]

World Intellectual Property Day 2011

Mark Kohras is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. This Tuesday, April 26th marks the 11th annual World Intellectual Property Day. The observance day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to “highlight the role and contribution of intellectual property in the economic, cultural and social development of all […]