IP Osgoode is an independent voice that explores legal governance issues at the intersection of intellectual property (IP) and technology. The program’s researchers, collaborators, and students actively engage in some of the most important and cutting-edge IP law and technology related research and policy discussions of today.
Commentary and analysis on the latest developments in intellectual property, technology and privacy, featuring curated contributions from students, scholars, and experts within the Osgoode community.
In fashion, the thin line between inspiration and “piracy” becomes increasingly blurred as fashion executives, designers, editors, and lawyers struggle to define what constitutes unethical imitation. Daniel Drapeau, a lawyer representing high-profile clients, criticizes the lack of legal protection in Canada by questioning whether we should be encouraging “cheap chic merchants”. Franco Rocchi of Le Chateau, […]
A recent landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in Quanta v. LG Electronics has effectively restricted patent-holders’ ability to claim infringement for subsequent uses of licensed products. This is the latest step by the top American court to circumscribe the scope of entitlements of patent-holders by limiting the ability of companies to collect […]
In August 2008, New Zealand judge, Justice David Harvey, made a ruling banning the publication of the names of two men who were charged with murder, on news websites. His main concern was the ability of jurors to Google the names of defendants before trials, and easily access information on their past criminal history. He […]
In a judgment pronounced in early August, which will encourage the open-source movement (Jacobsen v. Katzer, available at http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions/08-1001.pdf), a US Court of Appeals (Federal Circuit) held that a copyright holder can control the future distribution and modification of her work (through, for instance, means such as open-source licenses) even if she has dedicated the […]
Update July 7, 2009: Barry Stork's post "Liberal Party of Canada and Green Shift Inc.: Principles Take a Back Seat to the Almighty Dollar" won the Gowlings LLP Best Blog in IP Law and Technology Prize Fall 2008 in Professor D'Agostino's IP class Even before Parliament’s dissolution on September 7, 2008, Jennifer Wright took issue […]
Bill C-61 has been met with much criticism from IP experts and users alike. Though C-61 died on account of the federal election, debating its merits is not redundant as we may see its return. As I see it, much of what is wrong with the Bill can be seen in the following example of […]
Editor in Chief: Prof. Carys Craig (ccraig@osgoode.yorku.ca)
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