Communications Law
![[Presentation] Taylor Swift and Copyright/Moral Rights](https://iplaw.allard.ubc.ca/files/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-09-13-at-10.45.24-PM-360x202.png)
[Presentation] Taylor Swift and Copyright/Moral Rights
Hi everyone, I decided to do my presentation on Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her first 6 albums. She just released her version of her album Fearless a couple of weeks ago. I was curious how she was able to re-release her old songs if someone else owned them – if you’re curious as well, check […]
UK Copyright Lawsuit on the Bitcoin White Paper
I came across this interesting article on a copyright infringement lawsuit, where an Australian man is suing bitcoin.org for displaying a copy of the bitcoin white paper (which outlines the idea behind bitcoin) on its website. It is essentially a fight over proving authorship of the bitcoin white paper, and it made me think of […]
Copyright Infringement Showdown: The Fair Use Doctrine
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/copyright-infringement-showdown-the-4536885/ Hey everyone. Found this interesting article discussing fair use in the United States and how the doctrine has been used over time. I think it is interesting to compare this with our “fair dealing doctrine”. Although both are meant to achieve a somewhat similar purpose, there are several differences. The four factors of […]
“The world is desperate for more Covid vaccines – patents shouldn’t get in the way” (op-ed in The Guardian)
Hi Everyone, I came across this op-ed in The Guardian about the patent restrictions on Covid vaccines that I thought was very timely. Amongst the obvious concerns that vaccine patents are getting in the way of manufacturing the needed volume, the author advocates for using “‘compulsory licensing’” to make the pharmaceutical industry allow local manufacturers […]
Protecting IP, Ambush Marketing, and Major Sports Events: The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Case Study
Hi IP’ers, Hoping your exam seasons are wrapping up smoothly! With former VANOC President and CEO, John Furlong, making his recent pitch to the Vancouver Board of Trade for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, I thought it was fitting to explore how the 2010 Games handled their IP protections for my term paper. […]
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Google in copyright fight with Oracle
Hi Everyone, I came across this update in the litigation between Google and Oracle regarding Google’s use of some Oracle code in creation the Android platform. The US Supreme Court has ultimately decided that Google’s use of the code constituted fair use, with the majority noting key factors being that Google “took only what was […]
SCC grants leave to appeal in SOCAN v ESA (2020 FCA 100) – Meaning of “making available”
I subscribe to a newsletter that alerts me any time the SCC grants a leave to appeal, which always results in interesting news for my inbox. In 2012, the SCC decision in ESA v SOCAN (2012 SCC 34) held that no separate communication tariff applies to downloads of a musical work. However, this decision was […]
Another look at digital ownership: California district judge entertains lawsuit against Apple re iTunes “Buy” button
Someone is suing Apple over their “Buy” button on iTunes, arguing it’s deceptive in light of the way they license content and reserve the right to stop hosting that content at any time. Apple filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that no customer would reasonably expect otherwise, and questioned the plaintiff’s standing due […]
Chanel loses to Huawei in EU court logo battle
Huawei applied for EU trademark protection for a logo in 2017 for use in association with computer hardware. Chanel opposed the application, arguing the representation of two intertwining half-rings was similar to its protected logo, which it uses for products such as cosmetics, perfumes, and clothing. The EU General Court in Luxembourg found there to […]
Vox article on copyright, ownership, and DRM (TPMs)
Hi friends, Here’s another neat article from a US perspective some impacts of TPMs and fungible users rights in the age of software-driven physical consumer products. It starts a little dull, but eventually reflects on the more creative uses of digital contracts and TPMs, such as Nintendo’s Wii U eventually disabling itself unless users agreed […]