Soccer Star, Wayne Rooney, Fired His Agent, but Still has to Pay the Agency Continuing Commissions

Brent Randall is a JD candidate at the University of Ottawa. Proactive Sports Management Ltd., the former agency of English soccer star Wayne Rooney, was recently granted leave to appeal a decision of the High Court regarding the payment of commissions from an image-rights agreement between Proactive and Mr. Rooney.

Intervenors Added to Amazon.com’s “One-Click” Patent Appeal

Leslie Chong is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. Following an appeal from Phelan J.’s decision to allow Amazon’s ‘one-click’ business method patent, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Inc. and the Canadian Bankers Association have been granted leave to intervene through written submissions and brief oral arguments.

Pakistani Programmer is in the Spotlight after Tweeted Reporting Stint

Nora Sleeth is a JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. A Pakistani citizen who Tweeted about the bin Laden raid without understanding its significance discovered that social media sites create opportunities for instant publicity, whether or not this publicity is welcomed.

Samsung Bites into Apple as Mobile Communications Patent Wars Continue

Dan Whalen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. In a blitz of lawsuits, Samsung Electronics has gone from defendant to plaintiff as it counter-sued Apple over alleged infringement of its mobile communications technology. Amid the field’s patent wars, one wonders how this battle between long-time allies will end.

Sabam v. Scarlet: Court Advisor Opines on ISPs' Role in Preventing P2P File Sharing

Ivy Tsui is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. Sabam v. Scarlet poses an important question to online Internet Service Provider (ISP) – should an ISP filter and block internet content to prevent copyright infringements?

Digital Economy Act Emerges from Judicial Review Largely Unscathed

Matt Lonsdale is a JD candidate at Dalhousie University. On April 20, 2011, the UK High Court released its decision in the judicial review of the Digital Economy Act. The Act was challenged on five grounds by two prominent British internet service providers (ISPs), TalkTalk and BT. Justice Parker largely rejected their submissions, with the […]

Robertson Class Action Settlement #2 Decision Released

Kirk M. Baert and Jonathan Bida of Koskie Minsky LLP are class counsel in this matter. On May 2, 2011, Justice Carolyn Horkins of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the settlement of the class action Heather Robertson v. ProQuest, CEDROM, Toronto Star Newspapers, Rogers and Canwest, worth approximately $7.9 million. Class counsel provides […]

Collective IP Rights of Indigenous Peoples: The 18th Session of the IGC at WIPO

Amelia Manera is a JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The concept of collective rights of Indigenous Peoples with regards to intellectual property rights is just one of the topics under discussion at the Eighteenth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetics Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) being held at […]

Privacy Commissioner and Others Up In Arms about Sony PlayStation Network Hack

Matt Lonsdale is a JD candidate at Dalhousie University. On April 20th, 2011, disappointed gamers discovered they could no longer connect to the PlayStation Network. While Sony initially blamed the outage on technical problems, it was later revealed that the service had been deliberately hacked. The incident has sparked a flurry of activity among government […]

Canada Responds to “Emergencies” with Updated Drug Regulations

Dan Whalen is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The Canada Gazette published amendments to the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations, which include much-anticipated provisions for Extraordinary Use New Drugs (EUNDS). This addition is aimed at empowering Canada to prevent and respond to the threat of disease outbreaks and align its approach […]