Intellectual Property
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March 15, 2024
Federal Court of Appeal rejects Google’s appeal on smart-speaker technology patent
The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals by Google relating to its patent for adaptive echo and noise control in electronic devices, upholding that Sonos Inc.’s smart speaker technology did not infringe on the patent.
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March 14, 2024
Court authorizes class action over antipsychotic drug that allegedly causes compulsive behaviour
The Superior Court of Quebec has authorized a national class action against pharmaceutical companies Otsuka Canada and Lundbeck Canada over allegations that their antipsychotic drug Rexulti causes compulsive behaviors, according to a release from law firm Rochon Genova LLP.
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March 15, 2024
Princess Kate’s publicity, privacy and press: A balance hard to find
A mother of three, who is coping with health troubles in her early 40s, published a social card for celebrating Mother’s Day, choosing an edited picture. She wished a Happy Mother’s Day to mothers and mothers to be, but she chose to edit a few details for undisclosed reasons.
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March 13, 2024
CRTC launches consultation on regulatory framework for Online News Act
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has launched a public consultation on the regulatory framework for the Online News Act.
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March 13, 2024
Canada expresses trade concerns after new ‘Product of USA’ labelling rule unveiled
Canada is sounding an alarm over a U.S. move to adopt stricter standards for meat, poultry and egg products labeled "Product of USA."
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March 13, 2024
B.C. Court of Appeal affirms B.C. jurisdiction in JUUL e-cigarette class action
The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld a finding that British Columbia has jurisdiction over Altria Group, Inc., the parent company of Phillip Morris USA, in a proposed class action concerning allegations that the company participated in a conspiracy to falsely market JUUL e-cigarettes to young people as safe.
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March 14, 2024
Section 45 proceedings, change in ownership of mark and special circumstances
The impact of the special circumstances exception in s. 45 proceedings where there has been a change in the ownership of the mark has again been the subject of proceedings in the Federal Court (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne v. Coors Brewing Company 2024 FC 169).
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March 11, 2024
Copyrighting golf course design
A push to amend U.S. law to extend copyright protection to golf courses raises interesting issues about the types of works that can be protected by copyright.
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March 05, 2024
Federal lawyers ratify new collective agreement gains that achieve ‘comparable’ pay to Ontario Crowns
Members of the union representing more than 3,300 federal government lawyers and Crowns voted overwhelmingly to ratify a “hard won” new collective agreement, featuring pay increases of 12.5 per cent (13.14 per cent compounded) over four years — and making the pay rates for federal Crowns “comparable” to those of their Ontario counterparts, who are the highest paid public-sector lawyers in Canada, says the Association of Justice Counsel (AJC).
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March 04, 2024
Abuse of process by relitigation
The Federal Court of Appeal has recently considered the doctrine of abuse of process in relation to a claim for patent infringement. The court’s conclusions are not limited to patent infringement and apply more broadly (Janssen Inc. v. Apotex Inc., [2023] F.C.J. No. 2369).