Breakthrough: Canadian Scientists Discover Old Drug May Kill Cancer Stem Cells

A team of Hamilton scientists at the Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCC-RI) of McMaster University have made a breakthrough discovery (reported by CTV here) with the potential to significantly impact future cancer treatment, and provide new hope for people living with cancer including tens of thousands of Canadians. Published in last Thursday’s edition […]

Government Grants Create Academic/Public/Private/Non-Profit Research Partnerships: Congratulations Prof D’Agostino and her Team

On Friday May 25th, the Government of Canada announced a series of investments that seeks to create research partnerships among the academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The effort will be conducted by the Federal Government through grants administered through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

It’s Official: Functionality is Uncopyrightable, Says the European Court of Justice

In November 2011, the Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Yves Bot, issued an influential but non-binding legal opinion, positing that the functional aspects of computer programs should not be protected under copyright law. To do so would be against the interests of fair dealing, by preventing decompilation and reverse engineering, among other […]

Village People Crooner’s “Macho Macho” Song Rights Held Up in Court

In a long-anticipated court ruling on May 9th, a California judge upheld former Village People lead singer Victor Willis’s right to reclaim ownership of hit songs such as “YMCA” and “In the Navy.” Early last year, Willis invoked an amendment of United States copyright law which deals with inalienable “termination rights” with respect to recordings […]

From Russia With Love: Theft Conviction of Former Goldman Sachs Programmer Overturned at Appeal due to Nature of Property

This April, the United States Court of Appeals ruled that Sergey Aleynikov, former Goldman Sachs software developer-turned convicted thief and spy, was wrongly charged and convicted of theft and espionage under the rationale that software code is not physical property and thereby not subject to theft. This ruling sparks the debate about whether criminal courts […]

lawTechCamp reminds Lawful Access to consider the Charter: The Disclosure of Subscriber Information and Privacy Implications

Throughout last weekend’s second annual lawTechCamp, audience members interacted with each other using the Twitter hashtag #ltcto2012. While many participants chose not to hide their online identity behind a veil of anonymity, this possibility currently exists without privacy concerns. Sahar Zomorodi’s session, “Dissecting the term ‘lawful access’ in the proposed Online Surveillance Bill C-30,” illustrated Bill C-30’s privacy issues and […]

Oracle Fails to Predict Copyright Case Outcome Against Google

The copyright and patent dispute between Oracle and Google continues, however a partial verdict on the copyright side of the debate has been handed down.

Stealth Bombers Back on the Radar – The Anton Piller Order

As the author of the highly publicized decisions of Kerwhizz and Temple Island Collections, Judge Birss of the England and Wales Patent County Court (PCC) is no stranger to controversy. In his latest judgment, Suh v Ryu, Birss J appeared to settle a relatively straightforward procedural matter. Closer scrutiny reveals that his reasons are reflective […]

Copyright Lightweights: When 50 Pounds in Damages Might be Abuse of Process

The issue at the heart of Sullivan v. Bristol Film Studios is not merely the trivial amount of damages. Instead, the analysis from this recent case puts the principle of proportionality front and centre.

Servier v Apotex: Illegality Earns $17.5 Million in Damages

Normally, doing something that breaks the law earns you a punishment, including a fine, community service, or even imprisonment. However, when Apotex Inc., a large generic pharmaceutical company, began producing and selling a drug that Servier Laboratories Limited, another large pharmaceutical company, had patented, Apotex was awarded $17.5 million.