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

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While certain sectors of the entertainment industry, especially those involving live events, were hit hard by COVID-19, podcasting has amidst the pandemic. As lockdown measures increased and walks around the block became the most exciting part of my day, I too hopped on the podcast bandwagon. Here are my top ten IP-related podcast picks (in alphabetical order):Ěý

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The IP law blog, published by and hosted by intellectual property attorneys Scott Hervey and Josh Escovedo, delves into IP issues in the news. I loved this episode on celebrities being sued for posting images of themselves because it does an excellent job of exploring the IP law basis for this phenomenon.

Brand & New is a podcast by the . In this episode, host Audrey Dauvet talks to Harvard Law School’s Rebecca Tushnet about the impact of social and racial justice movements on owners of offensive trademarks. In particular, I enjoyed their conversation about the possibility of minority-owned brands reclaiming and trademarking offensive words or stereotypes.

This podcast series will definitely appeal to a more niche audience. It is hosted by Cesie and Angela, two practicing attorneys and reality television fans. They examine and discuss the lawsuits and legal disputes of reality television personalities. Although I do not follow The Real Housewives, I still found this episode incredibly entertaining and informative.Ěý

For anybody interested in both IP law and the cannabis industry, host Jenn Procacci and patent attorney and plant scientist Dr. Dale Hunt delve into IP protection for cannabis breeders.Ěý

This super fun podcast series, hosted by intellectual property attorneys Michael Snyder and Joseph Gushue, explores elements of intellectual property law referenced in popular movies, television, and songs. My favourite episode is Jurassic Patents, where Volpe Koenig attorney and Ph.D. Douglas Bucklin joins the hosts to discuss the Jurassic Park movies: how realistic they are, how IP law treats DNA, and how close we are to bringing back dinosaurs.

In this episode, Dario de Martino, Joyce Liou, and Paul Goldstein of break down all things non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and IP. Despite its short runtime, this episode touches on many interesting ways IP law can apply to the NFT space and is especially important as the NFT market continues to grow.

Innovation Talks is an IP podcast created by for small and mid-size enterprises. In this episode, Rebecca Dobson and Steve Waine provide interesting advice, stories, and hypotheticals involving the intersection of IP rights and social media.Ěý

Since designed the Progress Pride Flag in 2018, its use appears to be steadily increasing. This past pride month, I saw it everywhere. This episode offers a fascinating glimpse into Quasar’s process of designing the flag and the aftermath of their overnight success. Quasar also discusses their choices regarding exercising control over their IP.

This episode of Intellectual Property Law Podcast Series features attorneys Isi Caulder and Laurence MacPhie. They discuss the role of AI in healthcare, and specifically in the fight against COVID-19. They examine how IP law applies to AI in healthcare and the ways in which it can both hinder and facilitate progress.

tells her moving story of being a small business owner approached by a larger brand hoping to profit off of her IP. This David and Goliath story is a must-listen in my book and features an important intersectional and historical perspective on IP.

The post Ad-hear to the Law: My Top Ten IP-Related Podcast Episodes appeared first on IPOsgoode.

NatalieĚýBravo is anĚýIPilogueĚýWriter and a 2L JD Candidate atĚýOsgoodeĚýHall Law School.Ěý

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The colourful Pride flag is a widely recognized LGBTQ+ symbol. The rainbow flag was designed by the late , an American artist and activist (1951-2017). The design was inspired by the American flag and the history of the nation. According to Baker, The political activism of Baker’s close friend, , further inspired him to develop a visible proclamation of pride.

Today, the rainbow flag is an symbol—so much so that it is recognized by a prominent art institution, In 2015, the flag joined MoMA’s permanent design collection as a Despite the worldwide acclaim, Baker with the flag. He deliberately wanted it to be a free symbol for all, with unlimited use.

Before the Pride flag’s creation, The triangle was created in Nazi Germany to identify and stigmatize homosexuals who were seen as a during World War II. Though reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community, the symbol was effectively an oppressive device carrying an incredibly negative and traumatic history. something to celebrate love.

in 1974. Milk was an American politician, remembered for his activism and for being . Before his in 1978, Milk led a positive civil rights-focused campaign, and challenged Baker to create a positive pride symbol of hope. Baker was by his friend . to design a symbol for

The 1970s were a markedly rebellious and productive time for gay rights activism. The of 1969 were a series of riots in response to police raids that specifically targeted gay communities. Stonewall is widely regarded as the first ever Pride event. The riots sparked a decades-long that accomplished a wide array of legal rights and acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide.

The first Pride flags were at the in San Francisco (SF). Baker, then 27, along with about thirty volunteers fundraised and gathered thousands of . The collaborative flag-making was important to Baker, as it demonstrated a genuine connection to each other and the community. These first flags were raised in the After Milk’s death later that year, , led by . This spurred increased demand for the rainbow symbol and the start of something new.

In one of his last , Baker stated, “we needed something to express our joy, our beauty, our power. And the rainbow did that.” Initially, the flag was made up of . The colours were cut down to seven, to meet demand, and then down to six, for greater visibility from afar. For Baker, a rainbow was a of hope and each colour represented an aspect of pride.

Hot Pink = Sex, Red = Life, Orange = Healing, Yellow = Sunlight, Green = Nature, Turquoise = Magic/Art, Indigo = Serenity, Violet = Spirit

“Original 8 color Flag: 1978” available at .

Up until his death, Baker continued his activism and utilized the flag for such purposes. In 1994, for the 25^th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, he prepared a . When he passed in 2017, he was to commemorate Stonewall’s 50th anniversary. His life’s work solidified him as an important LGBTQ+ figure.

Through the years, the Pride flag has gone through several redesigns by various individuals. Notably, in 2018, designer Daniel Quasar updated the flag in the name of diversity and inclusion to create the . Quasar added five more colours to represent racialized and transgender communities, as well as lives lost to AIDS. Redesigns like these are legally possible due to the public use nature of the Pride flag. However, unlike Baker, Quasar released their flag under a , keeping some control over their redesign. They received for this decision, as many share Baker’s sentiment that a Pride flag should be owned by all.

“Progress” Pride Flag byĚýĚýis licensed under aĚý.

What people may not know of Baker’s famous Pride symbol is that the original flag came close to being from public use. In 1978, Baker visited LGBTQ+ focused civil rights attorney seeking trademark assistance regarding the flag. An advocacy organization tried to register the copyright of the flag as their own. The group alleged that since the flags were created at the centre, it belonged to them. Baker this with the help of Coles. He didn’t want the flag for himself, nor did he want compensation. Throughout his life, he chose never to enforce his ownership under the U.S. Baker maintained that the flag should be for public use and owned by everyone.

The rainbow Pride flag lives on as a world-famous symbol thanks to Baker’s critical IP decisions. The undeniable hues can be seen almost everywhere this June. It is difficult for me to imagine what the status of the rainbow flag as a Pride symbol would be had it been successfully restricted under U.S. law.

The post A Brief Look at the Pride Flag’s History & IP appeared first on IPOsgoode.

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

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For this year’s Pride month, I felt it would be important to shed light on how the intellectual property (IP) professional community is trying to create, recognize, and foster a Queer-friendly space for the LGBTQ2+ community. , a UK-based network of UK's IP professionals, was created in 2015. Their mission is to ".” In 2016, a small committee of volunteers created , an inclusive space for LGBTQ2+ and allies that work in IP.

IP Out organizes events and activities throughout the year to support and connect Queer IP professionals. The events include coffee chats, social nights, panels on LGBTQ2+ topics, and webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full of open discussion and all-around fun people, this UK network does a fantastic job of diversifying the IP sector.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, I attended IP Out’s Pride month event, “” Although considered a controversial topic in the Queer community, the chair of the discussion, , Partner and UK & European Patent Attorney of EIP Europe LLP, did an amazing job of leading the panelists throughout the webinar.

The panelists included: , a Queer Muslim activist who runs the only floating hotel in Gas Street Basin and led the Birmingham Pride March in 2019; , a priest for the Church of England and chaplain at Lady Margaret Hall; and , the Principal Rabbi of the North London Reform Synagogue, who teaches the next generation of rabbis at Leo Baeck College.

Each panelist explained their unique experience practicing their religions while being out and proud about their sexualities, before answering some tough questions:

Regarding Queer people who are atheists and/or have issues with religion, what do you think we can do with that tension?

Father Cain explained that those who are Queer and religious could only acknowledge their privileges and consciously work to support each other. He stated that the Queer community should particularly be at the forefront of protecting and spreading transgender rights. Rabbi Ambalu explained that sharing individual stories that promote the joys of religion with others can break the tension. She noted that telling personal success stories promotes other voices amongst those who are concerned by religion. Razzaq answered that everyone has the right to tell their stories and lead their lives. As Queer people, it is essential to unite as one. Razzaq continued by explaining that someone leaving a faith may have trauma from those experiences, and Queer people must march together as a community to help those who have had bad experiences with religion.

Where do you go to pray? Have you ever felt not allowed?

Razzaq explained that she gets asked this question a lot as a Queer person and that she prays at her local mosque. The community got her to where she is in life, and that mosque is precisely where her community is. The mosque is open to everyone and is a community space. Razzaq recognized her privilege to pray at her mosque, as many Queer people cannot do the same. Her response goes back to her last answer about the Queer community uniting as one; dividing into different groups over religion or other differences is not helpful. Father Cain reflected on a story where, after coming out of the closet, a Bishop at his old church told him, “there is a church down the street for people like you.” Father Cain said he tried to keep going, but seeing the Bishop while praying made it difficult for him to enjoy his religion. He now prays and practices his faith at his local chapel. Rabbi Ambalu said that she's like a shadow amongst people every time she goes back to her childhood synagogue because they chose not to pay attention to her, which saddens her.

What are your thoughts on today’s Queer community?

Father Cain reflected on how much the Queer experience differs for older versus newer generations. Back in the day, his generation faced segregation and UK's , a former British law that banned the promotion of homosexuality. In contrast, newer generations face a more open society. While barriers and pitfalls still exist, society has changed. Razzaq explained how she did not live through UK's Section 28, but society still keeps many traditional ways of life. Razzaq noted the number of teachers who do not support Queer students and do not stand with them at local protests. However, Rabbi Ambalu feels that every school and aspect of communities is on a journey to find a healthy balance, sharing that many Queer teachers are teaching her children.

The full event is available for free on YouTube .

It was a pleasure participating in IP Out’s “Religion & The Experiences of Lesbian and Gay People.” As I attended the panel, the thought about why Canada does not have an initiative or committee like IP Out or IP Inclusive came to mind. Celebrating the incredible Queer talents within the IP legal community would be a fantastic way to celebrate Pride month and offer support throughout the year. The Queer community and other minority communities deserve recognition in the IP legal community, as they bring an open mind, a wealth of knowledge, and much more to the legal community and their clients. By further supporting the Queer community and other minority communities, the IP community and the general legal community can better serve society at large.

Make sure you check out more of IP Out’s events, featurettes, and news at their !

The post A Look At IP Out’s Amazing LGBTQ2+ Inclusive Space appeared first on IPOsgoode.