Going into law school, I knew that I wanted to practice intellectual property law. I didn't exactly know what that meant, but I knew that it had to do with things I liked - films, television, and music. Unfortunately, my passion for pop culture did not impress the large and boutique IP firms I interviewed […]
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 […]
My placement at the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers (‘SOCAN’) as part of Osgoode's Intellectual Property Law and Technology Intensive Program was one of the most enriching experiences of my law school career. Firstly, the placement was the perfect marriage of student to organization, as I had a background in the music industry […]
On July 18, 2014, the world of everyone who streams music or videos containing music – that is, almost everyone who uses the internet – changed a little bit. On that date, the Copyright Board released a decision certifying two tariffs proposed by the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). These […]
In ten weeks at Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (SOCAN) I learned how to gamble on horses, how to create a shark costume out of an old sweater and some cardboard, the proper amount of food to eat at a Chinese buffet (three plates, including dessert), and to always fill out the Health and […]
We are pleased to announce details of the 2013 Intellectual Property Law and Technology Intensive Program. The tremendously successful program is currently in its third year, but it is continuing to grow. We are excited to announce the offering of three brand new placements for 2013, and the return of an excellent placement from the […]
In the 2012 Supreme Court of Canada copyright cases, the Court found an opportunity to redefine the law of fair dealing in Canada. While the Court acknowledged that fair dealing is a question of fact, and thereby properly adjudicated by triers of fact like the Copyright Board of Canada, the Court stepped in to revisit […]
I write this blog as a final rumination on the past two and half months of my law school life, which have been spent at the copyright collective known as the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). I think I can safely say that the time I have spent there has […]
Sometimes called “the Apple iTunes” case, SOCAN v Bell, 2012 SCC 36 was one of the five copyright rulings released by the Supreme Court of Canada last week. The case concluded that short preview clips streamed by online music retailers qualify as fair dealing for the purpose of research under s. 29 of the Copyright […]
The much anticipated Supreme Court of Canada ruling in Rogers Communications Inc v Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, 2012 SCC 35 (Rogers v SOCAN), culminated with a unanimous Court holding that on-demand transmissions of music streams made available by online music services constitute communications “to the public”. Consequently, the on-demand streaming of […]