The re-posting of this article is part of a cross-posting agreement with CyberLex. The Internet of Things (IoT) has been identified as a disruptive technology, bringing with it both the promise of seamless interconnectivity of devices and, the flip side of that interconnectivity, single-point vulnerability of multiple systems. While businesses rush to embrace the technology, […]

In the recently released decision 1395804 Ontario Limited c.o.b. Blacklock’s Reporter v Canadian Vintners Association, the Ottawa small claims court ruled in an interesting way on fair dealing that might have some far-reaching implications if nothing overrules it. Reading a strict interpretation of CCH and the Copyright Act, deputy judge Lyon Gilbert reached the conclusion […]

On October 6, 2015, the European Court of Justice declared that the Safe Harbour program - a framework which allowed efficient transfer of personal data between European Union (EU) member states and the US - was invalid. Over 4,000 companies, including data giants such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Google, relied on the Safe Harbour program […]

Last year the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it was opening a review of antitrust consent decrees that govern the activities of two major US performing rights organizations (PROs): the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI). The organizations administer public performance rights and collect royalties on behalf […]

Of Rights and Reservations Access to knowledge has always been at the forefront of the international discourse on intellectual property.[1] The idea that a system designed to encourage creativity and foster innovation must allocate exclusive rights to authors and artists is as old as the Statute of Anne.[2] The same statute, however, provides that this […]

Modern multi-lateral trade treaties do not habitually soften IP protection. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), signed October 5th, is no exception. With prescription drug costs increasingly weighing on Western nations, does the TPP strike the best balance between protecting patents and incentivizing innovation?