Knockoffs run rampant in the retail and fashion industries. For those of us that are fashion-forward but not looking to incur debilitating debt, we resign ourselves to settling for the closest lookalike. But while these products may save us some money, it is usually at the expense of designers from whose unique and original work […]
On Thursday September 18th, IP Osgoode presented the first talk of its IP Osgoode Speaks Series for the 2014-2015 academic year. Visiting from the University of Oxford, Professor Graeme B. Dinwoodie challenged a room full of eager listeners with his lecture entitled “Territoriality of Trade Marks in a Post-National Era.” For two hours Professor Dinwoodie captivated […]
The football field is for helmets not headdresses. In the much talked about June 18, 2014 decision in Blackhorse v Pro Football, Inc. the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) made a clear statement that culturally-insensitive trademarks would not be tolerated. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) decided to cancel six federal trademark […]
As discussed in Allison McLean’s “Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes coming to the Trade-marks Act” June 5, 2014 post, significant changes to the Canadian Trade-marks Act were introduced in Bill C-31, the 2014 budget bill. While the most controversial aspect of the trade-mark provisions of Bill C-31 is the removal of the need to claim or declare use in […]
Bill C-31, the Economic Action Plan 2014 Act No. 1, which will legislate into law the federal government’s recent budget, includes amendments to a number of statutes. Of particular interest are the amendments to the Trade-marks Act (“TMA”). The changes would reverse what has been the fundamental basis of Canadian trade-mark law for over 150 […]
Whether you grew up an avid comic-book fan, or just plan on seeing X-Men: Days of Future Past (recently released on May 23, 2014) as well as Avengers: Age of Ultron (scheduled for release on May 1, 2015), you might just “Hulk out” when you see two different Quicksilvers in each film. However, this doesn’t implicate a plot line […]
Trade-mark law in Canada is poised for transmutation thanks to the 2014 Federal Budget of all things.
There are just under two months left to submit your entry to our 6th annual Canada’s IP Writing Challenge. The winner from each category will receive a prize of $1000 (CAD), publication on the IP Osgoode website, and consideration for publication in the Canadian Intellectual Property Review and/or the Intellectual Property Journal. The deadline to […]
Has Amazon, the hero of online shopping and home of the Kindle, become the newest provider of pay-per-view porn? According to WREAL, the company behind the adult entertainment streaming device and website FyreTV®, this is just a taste of the confusion apparently created by the launch of Amazon’s similarly named Fire TV. Consequently, attorneys on […]
In March 2014, a single member Canadian Internet Registry Association (CIRA) panel allowed the transfer of two domain names which consisted, in both cases, of the personal names of people involved in a dispute with an unsatisfied former customer. The decision of the panel could preserve individual privacy rights online. It also serves to protect […]