Stu Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School The Federal Court of Appeal recently released a decision holding that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are not considered to be broadcasters within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act and are therefore not subject to the same levies that are imposed on traditional TV and […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The Supreme Court of the United States last week released what was likely the most highly anticipated patent case of the year: Bilski v. Kappos. It was the decision that many had hoped would settle once and for all the nagging issue of whether […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. It is no secret that there have been plenty of absurd patents issued over the years. The gerbil shirt, anyone? Of the three main requirements for patentability, utility definitely tends to have the lowest bar (novelty and non-obviousness being the others). Particularly in Canada, […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. While most of the media coverage of Bill C-32 (aka the “Copyright Modernization Act”) has focused on either the increased protection for digital locks or the new categories of user rights, the bill also includes some tough new laws aimed at stamping out illegitimate […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School Last week the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a 2007 Copyright Board decision concerning online music stores and those 30 second previews that are found on nearly every music download site. In doing so they endorsed a broad definition of the term “research” for […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Ogsoode Hall Law School. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recently released its annual Recording Industry in Numbers report, and the numbers are grim indeed: Global recorded music revenues fell 7%, amounting to a whopping US$ 17 billion decline. Canada meanwhile was given a failing grade […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. Earlier this month a joint team of researchers from the Information Warfare Monitor and the Shadowserver Foundation released a new report entitled Shadows in the Cloud. The report details a complex cyber-espionage network operating out of China which has compromised computers and stolen hundreds […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. On Tuesday, March 16, IP Osgoode and the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security jointly hosted the Workshop on Media Suppression. Held at the Schulich School of Business on York University campus, the workshop was split into two halves: Livelihood (chaired […]
Stuart Freen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. South Australian parliament recently came under fire for passing a new anti-anonymity amendment to its electoral act. Described by the Australian media as “draconian”, the new law would require online commenters, bloggers and even talk radio show callers to fully identify themselves before providing […]
Stuart Freen is a J.D. candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School and is taking the Patent Law course. Non-practicing entities (NPEs) are rarely depicted in a positive light. Particularly in the IT sector, NPEs or “patent trolls” as they are often called are characterized as opportunistic extortionists, amassing large and strategic patent portfolios without actually conducting […]