Anita Gogia is an IPilogue Writer and a 2L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Concrete jungles around the world illustrate the man-made burden on the planet. Concrete is a carbon-intensive ingredient in construction and makes up at least . When it comes to industrial processes, .

To resolve the issue and alleviate the output of greenhouse gasses, a cement-free concrete named EarthCrete is being developed by CarbonMeta. EarthCrete was recently assessed by researchers at Oxford and CarbonMeta Research who confirmed that EarthCrete is actually on July 26, 2022. Particularly, using emissions.

The pace to carbon-free construction is also accelerated by engineers and researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Pennsylvania State University who are using their federal grants to approach carbon-neutral cement manufacturing. The researchers hope to turn building material into a “.” In the system, carbon would be captured from the air by with rapid mineral carbonation. This technique would recycle industrial waste into a cement alternative. The researchers hope to create a long-lasting building material that extracts more CO₂ from the air than it emits.

Another grant has been provided to UIC, UW-Madison, and Fort Lewis College for the . Calcium hydroxide is a crucial ingredient in cement, and the low-temperature calcium hydroxide procedure (LoTECH) would create calcium hydroxide from industrial waste. Such (and the thermal decomposition of limestone), and act to further ��reduce the carbon footprint of cement production.

At the University of Colorado Boulder, , therefore creating another potential carbon-neutral concrete. The microalgae creates calcium carbonate through photosynthesis. Using sunlight, seawater or freshwater, and CO₂, microalgae produces calcium carbonate shells. The process is carbon neutral because the CO₂ emitted when used to make cement is equal to the CO₂ the microalgae absorbed. The biogenic limestone behaves the same as regular limestone which makes it feasible to incorporate into cement production. The researchers that this biogenic limestone would save two gigatons of CO₂ emissions yearly. The researchers also that the 1-2 million acres of open ponds in the US make it possible to produce enough biogenic limestone to satisfy cement demands.

In review of progresses to environmentally friendly cement, federal grants have played a crucial role. At a global scale, carbon-neutral or carbon-negative innovations will be the key to offsetting the damage done and accessing sustainable resources.

The post Green Advances in a Grey Industry appeared first on IPOsgoode.

Photo by luchschenF ()

Emily Xiang is an IPilogue Writer, the President of the Intellectual Property Society of Osgoode, and a 2L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

��

Decommissioning is the Future

In the energy sector, decommissioning refers to the practice of dismantling energy installations at the end of their life cycles when they no longer satisfy required standards of safety, security, regulation, economic viability, ethical considerations, or environmental integrity. This process may also involve removing, recycling, remanufacturing, storing, or disposing of specific compounds. Nuclear energy, coal and gas-fired energy, and renewable energy are currently the facing decommissioning. For example, wind turbines typically have a lifespan of approximately . As the lifespan of first-generation turbines comes to an end, new decommissioning issues in the renewable energy sector is making room for new patent opportunities as well. In some countries, old turbine blades are being repurposed for their strength and stability to . Some are also being re-developed or re-applied to extract fiberglass and other reusable materials from old blades, with a view to recycle them for future use in new turbines.

Current Challenges with Decommissioning

Unfortunately, decommissioning existing energy infrastructures in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner comes with its fair share of challenges, many of which public and private stakeholders alike have overlooked. For instance, decommissioning policymakers will need to turn their minds to the , or the handling, transportation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of . The process of decommissioning is also sure to incur costs, but to execute their decommissioning projects effectively. There are also several associated with either restoring decommissioned sites to their original condition or preparing them for subsequent use. Moreover, the of many infrastructure sites raises logistical challenges concerning the mobilization of equipment and resources.��

Opportunities for Patents in the Decommissioning Sector

Patents form one avenue available to protect innovations that may address some of the current challenges related to decommissioning in the energy sector. Moreover, various mechanisms exist for expediting the application process for innovations that serve a particular purpose. For instance, , including an advanced examination of green technologies that help resolve or mitigate environmental impacts. Patent applicants that seek to address current environmental concerns with decommissioning may find themselves on a fast-tracked requisition course at no additional cost.��

However, the practice of regularly maintaining and renewing patents often comes with ongoing costs. Patent applicants and holders should be mindful of how their IP rights can be aligned with commercially profitable decommissioning activities worldwide to mitigate costs. , patent applications for inventions related to decommissioning may first be filed in countries such as Canada or the UK, where decommissioning activities are increasing and expedited avenues of examination for green technologies are currently available. Meanwhile, applications in other patenting jurisdictions in which energy infrastructures are still being developed or are still not yet nearing the end of their lifespans may be allowed to follow ordinary examination courses.��

Conclusion

��As older generation energy infrastructures near the end of their lifespans, the need for comprehensive decommissioning policies and novel innovations will only increase. Until recently, many of the challenges associated with decommissioning were , with stakeholder interests moreso focused on new builds or retrofit projects. Careful planning on the part of both operators and interested parties on the IP front will be essential in ensuring efficient and effective decommissioning projects.

The post Abandoned Pipelines and Turbine Graveyards: The Role of Patents in an Aging Energy Sector appeared first on IPOsgoode.

Photo by ()

Meena Alnajar is an IPilogue Writer, IP Innovation Clinic Fellow, and a 2L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

��

Leaves may be falling in time for autumn, but Canada just got a whole lot greener. ESG Clean Energy, LLC ("ESG"), a corporation responsible for clean energy solutions for distributed power generation, announced that they signed with Viking Energy Group, Inc. ("Viking") for use of ESG’s carbon dioxide-free power generation technology in all of Canada. This licence will foster green energy developments by using ESG’s cutting-edge patented technology to generate net-zero carbon emissions from services such as .

The agreement gives Viking the exclusive patent rights to ESG’s technology and knowledge regarding clean energy. The licence is exclusive for all of Canada, which means an of clean energy systems can be built throughout the country. Why did ESG choose to licence its patent rights in such a way? What does each party gain? According to ESG’s President, , the agreement “allows us to provide more effective energy solutions outside the United States by leveraging the experience, expertise, and relationships within the entire Viking and Camber organization." ESG is, in a sense, trying to garner input to enrich green technology for wider audiences. Further, ESG is recognizing that producing green technology should be a global effort to help combat climate change, a global crisis.

An means no person other than the named licensee can use the intellectual property during the patent’s life span. ESG’s granting of a exclusive patent right is broad, which may appear to risk their IP protection. However, wide-scale issues like climate change may need a push to accessible IP and innovative technology. Global issues often alter the patent landscape, encouraging the side-stepping of many patent laws in favour of the public good. More recently, COVID-19 has �� waiving the patent rights for COVID-19 vaccines to hasten vaccine production and manufacturing around the world. However, critics pushed back to the idea of a waiver, arguing that IP rights are a in research and production. Mutual agreements for exclusive and broad patent licenses, such as the green technology agreement between ESG and Viking, may be the compromise to promote faster solutions to the world’s growing climate crisis.

ESG and Viking may arguably be driven to increase green technologies by increased profits via more IP licenses and contracting parties. This does not negate the potential positive benefits that may flow from this exclusive licensing for green technology. The International Renewable Energy Agency (“IRENA”) has stressed that decarbonisation in the form of low-carbon technologies needs to happen . Not only are decarbonisation technologies needed to limit global warming, but to protect the global economy as well. IRENA’s research estimates that delaying decarbonisation could due to the devaluation of electrical infrastructure. IRENA suggests is a critical strategy to implement these technologies. ESG’s exclusive patent licensing, with the goal of knowledge sharing and technological development, may thus hold the key to improving our environment.

The post Reducing the Canadian carbon footprint through ESG Energy’s granting of exclusive patent rights appeared first on IPOsgoode.

Photos from and , created on .

Shawn Dhue is an IPilogue Writer and a 2L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

��

In anticipation of Canada’s federal election on September 20, 2021, it is relevant to research the federal parties’ platforms as they relate to intellectual property (IP), innovation, and technology. In this post, I will look at the of the Liberal Party of Canada (“Liberal Party”) and the Green Party of Canada (“Green Party”). Make sure to check out my colleague ’s post investigating .

��The Liberal Party of Canada’s 2021 Federal Election Platform

Three main points involving technology and intellectual property stick out in the Liberal Party’s platform for the upcoming election:

1.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to confirm if he supports the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Waiver.

As push to support and request that wealthier countries relax their IP protection laws to ensure the COVID-19 vaccine is shared globally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to comment. In May 2021, Trudeau said that he supports sharing vaccines globally and that he . However, this was the last time Trudeau spoke publicly about the matter, and he has yet to acknowledge it while campaigning. Three days after his comment, published a to the Prime Minister, urging him to support the waiver and help countries like India and South Africa combat their COVID-19 outbreaks.

2. The Liberal Party plans to create , an initiative “to help innovators access expert intellectual property services, with $90 million over two years, and another $75 million over three years for a similar Industrial Research Assistance Program for high-growth firms.”

The Liberal Party sees this investment as supporting small businesses, innovators, tech start-ups, and more. The Liberal Party acknowledges the value of IP and states that they would love to see the economy use the IP community for growth opportunities. As such, they plan to support ElevateIP with a Strategic Intellectual Property Program Review, which will assess this initiative and help programming from the start of research to near-commercial projects. This initiative is said to ensure Canadians reap the benefits from the IP and tech industry. ��������������������

3. The Liberal Party plans to renew the .

In 2017, the Canadian government for the world’s first nationwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy. The strategy aims to foster a more collaborative AI environment by attracting AI researchers to the country. Additionally, the Liberal Party hopes to advance national initiatives in the AI community to help society better understand the implications of AI. Renewing this strategy would bring Canada to the forefront of the global AI community.

The Liberal Party’s platform includes a few more noteworthy points. The Liberal Party hopes to provide to support small business technology needs and connect those small businesses with younger people looking for tech careers over four years. The platform also speaks to helping large-scale energy technology projects by providing them with $1 billion over five years. Lastly, the Liberal Party plans to create the Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy in British Columbia during their next term, with an estimated cost of $35 million.

The Green Party of Canada’s 2021 Federal Election Platform

The Green Party has yet to release a full election platform. Leader Annamie Paul says that circumstances are different this election and anyone who wants to see the Green Party’s platform can “.” For the party known to be environment-focused, Paul states that not much has changed since the 2019 election. Paul reiterated this when British Columbia’s heatwave claimed multiple lives earlier this summer.��

With this, three noteworthy points emerge from the Green Party’s platform as they relate to IP, innovation, and energy:

1.The Green Party plans to in First Nations communities, aligned with the .

This point intersects with several issues, including economy and affordability, Indigenous affairs, and energy. The Green Party hopes to partner with Indigenous communities to revamp the east-west electricity grid to transmit renewable energy from one region to another. This will create renewable energy for First Nations communities at a lower cost than building a new grid in areas without access to these energy sources.

2. The Green Party plans to invest in comprehensive training programs to repurpose the skills of industrial trades workers for jobs in the renewable energy sector.

The Green Party hopes that this plan will provide skilled workers in Canada with secure employment opportunities.

3. The Green Party hopes to implement an energy efficiency retrofit program for all buildings.

“Energy efficiency retrofitting” upgrades a building’s energy-consuming system. Retrofitting could involve improving light fixtures, windows, doors, ventilation, or insulation to make ��buildings more energy and economically efficient. The Green Party hopes to create a program to make sure buildings around Canada can help fight the climate crisis.

The Green Party still has time to release a new, expanded platform within the coming weeks.

The post The Parties’ Plans for IP: Liberal Party & Green Party appeared first on IPOsgoode.

Screenshots from and .

Claire Wortsman is an IPilogue Writer and a 2L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.

��

As the election nears, my colleague Shawn Dhue and I are looking at the major parties’ plans for Canada in IP-related areas. This article will cover the platforms of Erin O’Toole and the Conservative Party of Canada as well as Jagmeet Singh and the New Democratic Party. For information on the Liberals and Green Party, check out Shawn’s article. Below are select pieces of and that address the CPC and NDP’s plans for Canadian IP and related areas respectively.

COVID-Related Trade Policy

• Reinstate the tariff on imported PPE.
• Support the Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights Waiver (TRIPS) to waive IP rights for COVID vaccines and ensure technology transfer between nations.

Media Policy ��

• Introduce a digital media royalty framework to ensure platforms like Google and Facebook compensate Canadian media outlets for the sharing of their content. This will include a robust arbitration process and the creation of IP right for article extracts shared on social media platforms.����
• Make sure that Netflix, Facebook, Google, and other digital media companies play by the same rules as Canadian broadcasters.

Privacy Policy

• Pass strong legislation to protect privacy more effectively.
• Work to strengthen privacy protections for Canadians by updating privacy legislation to include a digital bill of privacy rights and boost the powers of the Privacy Commissioner to make and enforce orders, as well as levy fines and penalties.

Data Policy

• Create a technology task force within the Competition Bureau to examine whether dominance and anti-competitive behaviour of big tech is damaging to Canadian industries.
• Examine how algorithms and data give big tech an advantage over Canadian businesses, as well as how fintech and new technologies could foster competition.
• Prioritize the collection of race-based data on health, employment, policing and more with the goal of improving outcomes for racialized communities.

Innovation Policy

• Launch a review of innovation programs at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and across the government and, among other things, implement requirements:
  • All recipients demonstrate that IP, production, ownership, and profits are likely to stay in Canada; and
  • All IP developed with the support of the Canadian government is held by a Canadian entity and that recipients agree to pay back the subsidy if they sell the IP to a foreign buyer.
• Invest $5 billion over the next 5 years to fund programs in: Use of hydrogen; Small Modular Reactors; Private sector innovation in the space sector; Electric vehicle development and manufacturing, including electric trucks, micro-mobility, batteries, and parts manufacturers; and pharmaceutical research and production.
• Restore the Automotive Innovation Fund and make contributions to automakers tax-free.

Jobs/Labour Policy

• Pay up to 50% of the salary of new hires for 6 months following the end of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
• Invest in forestry innovation and support value-added Canadian wood products – and the good jobs that go with them.
• Support more options for women to build careers in the trades and other non-traditional fields like agriculture, innovation, research, and STEM.
• Support paid sick leave and prescription drug coverage.

Environmental Policy

• Implementing an affordable carbon price: Starting at $20/tonne and increasing to $50/tonne but no further.
• Work with the provinces to implement a national Personal Law Carbon Savings Account that consumers can pay into each time they buy hydrocarbon-based fuel. They can then put this money towards things that help them live a greener life (e.g., buying a transit pass or bicycle).
• Make Canada an innovation leader on methane reduction in areas such as:
  • Real-time monitoring for a leakage detection;
  • Ensuring that provincial methane regulations are genuinely equivalent with the federal regulations; and
  • Increasing the ambition of those targets in the 2025-30 period.
• Create a National Crisis Strategy to help communities reduce and respond to climate risks, as well as a new Climate Corps of young workers to respond to climate impacts and build an equitable clean-energy economy.

Foreign Policy

• Protect Canadian IP with a strengthened that includes, among other things:
  • A presumption against allowing the takeover of Canadian companies by China’s designated state-owned entities; and
  • A reformed “net benefits” test to better account for the potential effects of a transaction on the broader innovation ecosystem with a particular focus on protecting IP and human capital.
• Revoke visas of Chinese nationals identified by national security agencies as conducting espionage or stealing IP.
• Adopt measures to stabilize the Canadian steel market and protect the sector from predatory practices of foreign producers who are shut out of other markets.

The post The Parties’ Plans for IP: CPC & NDP appeared first on IPOsgoode.

If you have not yet registered for our event, make sure you do so BEFORE 9:00 am (EST). You can also read about our esteemed lineup of speakers ��before the event begins.

We are grateful to both and the for their help in promoting our event.

If you cannot join us live, a recording of the webinar will be available after the broadcast through our website. We would like to thank everyone involved in helping us make this event a reality, including our collaborators at IDC Herzliya, Microsoft Canada, and Alectra's GRE&T Centre, and we look forward to presenting this fascinating event!

The post LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER - Bracing for Impact Webinar: AI's Dirty Footprint appeared first on IPOsgoode.