“The world is desperate for more Covid vaccines – patents shouldn’t get in the way” (op-ed in The Guardian)

“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 […]

U.S. Supreme Court sides with Google in copyright fight with Oracle

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 […]

Paper: Canada’s Reluctant Acceptance of International Copyright Protection

Paper: Canada’s Reluctant Acceptance of International Copyright Protection

Hi Everyone, I’ve attached my paper for the class that explores Canada’s relationship with the Berne Convention. This was a really interesting paper to write as it revealed that, as a net importer of copyrighted works, Canada has traditionally been quite opposed to international copyright protection. Nevertheless, Canada acceded to the Berne Convention in order […]

BC Whisky Maker Sued by Scotch Whisky Association for Using Scottish Words in Their Branding

BC Whisky Maker Sued by Scotch Whisky Association for Using Scottish Words in Their Branding

Hi Everyone, I was recently reviewing the passing off cases and came across this article about how a BC whisky maker is being sued by the Scotch Whisky Association for using Scottish words to describe their whisky. This is reminiscent of the Institut National Champagne case, and seems to me like a really interesting extension of […]