Copyright & Social Media
Communications Law
IP Law Pamphlets for Copyright and Trademark
Hello all! While doing this project, I thought about all the countless times that non-law students had asked me about what IP law was, and then when I explained it was copyright, trademarks, and patents, they responded with, “Oh sweet, so I can copyright ____?” If a family member, a friend, or even a foe […]
The Idea–Expression Dichotomy in Fantasy Game Design
Nintendo games hold a very special place in my heart. Ever since my brother and I were introduced to Pokemon: Emerald by our uncle, you could not tear the Gameboy out of our hands for most of our early childhood. From Super Mario Galaxy introducing motion controls in a 3D environment to when the Legend […]
Harbouring Piracy? Rethinking Canada’s Notice-and-Notice Regime
Introduction While Canada is a pioneer in many aspects of intellectual property law, the Supreme Court of Canada’s (“SCC”) liberal interpretation of users’ rights can operate to the detriment of creators. Canada’s notice-and-notice regime appears to tilt the balance “between promoting the public interest in the encouragement and dissemination of works of the arts and […]
Welcome to the Spring 2026 IP Law Cohort (#12 for me if anyone’s counting)
Two headlines, 31 years apart – same mistake. As Mark Twain said in 1897 “Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Looking at what has happened to IP law generally and copyright law specifically in the 33 years since that Wired Magazine article, you would be hard pressed to find an area of law that […]
Athlete Biometric Data and Wearable Tech Metrics: Is Player Data Intellectual Property in Basketball?
Introduction Professional basketball teams are starting to incorporate wearable technology that collects different biometric data from players. The Cavaliers, Jazz, Pacers and Suns, who were the first NBA teams to install biometrics labs, have now started to test biometric and performance data including heart rate variability, jump load, fatigue indicators, sleep metrics, and movement tracking. […]
AI-Generated Content Creation: A Dog, a Cat, and Several Unholy Hybrids
Social media platforms have, for many years, relied upon tools which track digital fingerprinting, conduct metadata analyses, and do advanced pattern recognition to critically analyse altered content for copyright infringement. With AI’s rapid advancements in visual product-generation, it seems easier than ever to appropriate copyrighted content to create high-quality derivative works which can undermine the […]
Do Foreign Inventors Get a Fair Shot at Patent Grant in Canada? I Unleashed AI on 100,000 Patent Applications to Find Out
This summer I worked at an intellectual property firm in downtown Vancouver, immersed in the world of patent prosecution. My days were spent drafting correspondence and amendments for patent applications destined for the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Our clients included both Canadian inventors filing patents […]
Trademarking Your Face: The New Frontier Against Deepfakes?
AI: An Acute Issue? Trademarks traditionally serve a commercial function by allowing a person to distinguish their goods or services from those of others.[1] However, amidst the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and the resultant proliferation of deepfakes,[2] could trademarks emerge as a potential safeguard against the unauthorized exploitation of one’s physical likeness? English television […]
The World of Intellectual Proper(kit)ty
For my project, I chose to look into something I’m truly passionate about: cats. But Tyleigh, isn’t this all a little millennial cringe? Yes, but consider this a palate cleanser from all the very serious, real world problems going on. Instructions for Viewing Presentation Link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG75lu26AU/hwQ6-HgHBQh3rD65SKi5cg/view?utm_content=DAG75lu26AU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h696852ee1f ——— References, Organized by Topic: Grumpy Cat PUMA Deadmau5/Meowingtons […]
Stories within Stories – Who Owns the Copyright?
Term project by Dylan Nouri Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is my favourite movie of all time. The 2015 Best Picture winner features Riggan Thomson, a washed-up Hollywood actor who used to play the titular Birdman in a series of exciting, but superficial, action movies back in the 90s. Decades later, in an […]