Technology

Amazon.com Patent Ruled Obvious by EPO Board of Appeal

Nora Sleeth is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeal has ruled that Amazon’s one-click system is too obvious to patent.

Copyright Alerts: The Next Solution to Online Piracy?

Danny Titolo is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. An agreement has recently been made between the largest music, television and motion picture companies and the leading Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to create the “copyright alert” system. The main purpose of this system is to notify subscribers when their accounts are being used […]

Disagreement Persists As WIPO Negotiations For An Accessibility Treaty Move Forward

Andrew Baker is a LLB/BCL candidate at McGill University Faculty of Law. WIPO members have recently met to discuss a potential treaty for the disabled that would create minimum exceptions in copyright laws to facilitate access to copyrighted works by persons who are disabled, and permit the sharing of accessible works across borders.

Nortel Patent Sale Could Have Major Impact On Apple, Google And Microsoft

Brent Randall is a JD candidate at the University of Ottawa. In the biggest sale of technology patents in history, a consortium of Apple, Research In Motion, Microsoft, Ericsson, Sony and EMC, was the highest bidder for 6,000 patents from Nortel at a price of $4.5 billion.

Copyright Committee Crowdsources Policy Research

Kalen Lumsden is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The Committee on the Impact of Copyright Policy on Innovation in the Digital Era is using some of the innovations of the digital era to vet drafts of research papers it commissioned. Through posting the drafts on its blog and asking for comments, the […]

UN Report Asserts Access To The Internet Is A Human Right

Michael Gilburt is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The United Nations has released a report that examines the relationship between Internet access and the right to free expression under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Government Agencies Retaining IP Rights In Violation Of Stated Policy

Matt Lonsdale is a graduate of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. A recent report claims that in 2009, 59% of the intellectual property rights in the work product of contractors hired by Canadian government agencies were retained by the agencies themselves. This is a departure from the goals of a government policy […]

European Commission Proposes Single Market For Intellectual Property Rights

Kalen Lumsden is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. On 24 May 2011 the European Commission released a communication to the European Parliament addressing the shortcomings and challenges of the current intellectual property rights regime. It proposes that a single, unified market address fragmentation problems and regulatory barriers in the European Intellectual Property […]

Toyota Soon To Enter The Social Network World

Danny Titolo is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. Toyota, Microsoft and Salesforce.com recently announced a partnership to build a social network for Toyota customers. The network is called “Toyota Friend” and aims to create an instant messaging quartet between the owner, car, dealer and factory. Users can gain access through cellphones, tablets or […]

Cutting Edge Innovation At MedEdge Summit 2011 York Region

Danny Titolo is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The MedEdge Summit 2011 is a medical device and life sciences conference being held on June 16, 2011 at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts. The event is geared towards bringing industry leaders, academics and hospitals in York Region up to speed […]