A Leading Voice in Intellectual Property & Technology Law

The IPilogue is IP Osgoode’s online journal of IP Law and Technology. It publishes analysis and commentary on current pressing intellectual property, technology, privacy and related legal issues. The IPilogue features curated contributions from students, scholars, and experts within the Osgoode community, from our network of affiliated researchers and partners, as well as from professionals and scholars in disciplines outside of law.

Editor in Chief: Prof. Carys Craig (ccraig@osgoode.yorku.ca)
Submission inquiries: iposgoode@osgoode.yorku.ca


Effects of New Supply-Chain Models on Intellectual Property Rights

Dec 12, 2008 2 min read
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As we move forward into a world of greater complexity filled with rapidly developing inventions and innovations, product owners and manufacturers are modifying their supply-chain models to complement the changing global economy. This post will discuss how both the high-tech and intangible intellectual works sectors are re-thinking their distribution models and suggest how these changes […]

Parties Playing Politics, IP Reform Loses Out

Dec 11, 2008 2 min read
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The recent turmoil in Parliament has led to a buzz among many ordinary Canadians. But out of the push for a new coalition government, largely unprecedented in Canadian history, has immediately come more of the same: political bickering and inaction. One week ago, upon request from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General Michaëlle Jean prorogued […]

Human Rights Court rules against UK's DNA database

Dec 10, 2008 1 min read
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Last Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights made an important ruling on the privacy of a person’s unique genetic information. The European Court, citing a Supreme Court of Canada decision with approval, determined that it was an illegal violation of a person’s rights to keep a person’s DNA sample when they had no prior […]

Parody and Canadian copyright law

Dec 9, 2008 2 min read
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While parody is a well-established defence to copyright infringement in the U.S, a recent B.C. Supreme Court decision says that this is not the case in Canada.  On November 24, in a judgment on a motion to strike portions of the Statement of Defence, the B.C. Supreme Court Master ruled that parody could not be […]

EPO Confirms Human Embryonic Stem Cells Cannot be Patented

Dec 8, 2008 2 min read
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The process to harvest human embryonic stem cells (hESC) may be old news in the scientific community; however, the issues raised by this area of science continue to be debated in law and politics. The moral and social arguments for and against embryonic stem cell research are well documented. Proponents argue that stem cells, derived […]

Recent Trends in the Economics of Copyright

Dec 8, 2008 1 min read
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Recent Trends in the Economics of Copyright Edited by Ruth Towse and Richard Watt The book is part of an Elgar Publishing series, Recent Trends, and I was commissioned to edit this one on the Economics of Copyright. At the time, I was about to spend time in New Zealand with my friend and colleague from […]

Perceptions of IP: A Review

Dec 5, 2008 1 min read
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In a recently released report by the Intellectual Property Institute (IPI) in London, Dr. Roya Ghafele takes a unique approach in synthesizing the many existing viewpoints in the multi-faceted arena of IP public policy debate.  In an age where these debates are becoming ever more complex and heated, her accessible and balanced summary is useful […]

Criminal Penalties for Online Breach of Terms and Services in MySpace Suicide Case

Dec 4, 2008 2 min read
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Lori Drew has been found guilty by a jury in a Federal Circuit Court in California of unauthorized access to a computer system in contravention of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1030. The charges were laid after Ms. Drew set up a fake MySpace account posing as a 16 year old […]

Changing role of ‘You’ in ‘YouTube’

Dec 3, 2008 1 min read
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Ever since the inception of YouTube, people have been extremely creative in finding applications of this user-friendly platform. Owing to its profound integration into our daily lives, its uses have emerged beyond the realm of entertainment. Today, YouTube is being used for everything from uploading user generated videos for sharing with family and friends, to […]

Trademark Protection Under Pressure

Dec 2, 2008 1 min read
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According to a recent decision by a WIPO arbitration panel, an original manufacturer may not have an infringement complaint when an unauthorized dealer’s domain name contains the manufacturer’s trademark.  Although there has been some criticism of the ruling, the decision appears to provide a balanced result. This high-impact ruling was a result of a complaint brought […]