Issues/Your Take

Leonard v Nike Inc: Board Man Doesn’t Get Paid

Leonard v Nike Inc: Board Man Doesn’t Get Paid

*Please note that I wrote this to post before class 2, so it only covers the course material from class 1 and week 2 readings: Hey everyone, the Kenrick & Co v Lawrence & Co case from our first class about a drawing of a hand reminded me of one of the most memorable copyright […]

Ed Sheeran Height

Ed Sheeran Height

Hello everyone, Just as a follow-up to one of the most important topics from the last class, I would like to share this research showing that Ed Sheeran’s height in fact is not 4’11”. Rather, as the attached article shows, he is 5 feet and 7¾ inches tall. The author also points out that “[t]here’s nothing […]

Burger King Trolls McDonalds After They Lose Trademark Battle in the EU

Burger King Trolls McDonalds After They Lose Trademark Battle in the EU

This is from a while back but I came across it scrolling through Instagram. Back in 2019, Mcdonald’s lost a trademark battle regarding their iconic Big Mac burger and the prefix “Mc” against Irish burger chain Supermacs. (McDonald’s Loses Trademark Battle) The article I linked explains a bit of the legal battle.  This instance has […]

Formula 1 and IP – Why F1 and Patents Don’t Mesh

Formula 1 and IP – Why F1 and Patents Don’t Mesh

Hi everyone, As the new Formula 1 (F1) season is fast approaching, the first race of the season being on March 20th, I was curious about how F1 handles IP. This curiosity is derived from the innovation that F1 exhibits each season. For those that do not know, each year each F1 team has to […]

Vaccines and IP Law – Should vaccine patents be waived in the face of a pandemic?

Vaccines and IP Law – Should vaccine patents be waived in the face of a pandemic?

One interesting topic I thought of in relation to IP law is IP and COVID-19 vaccines. As the wealthy countries of the world vaccinate their populations, even arriving at the stage of providing a third booster dose, developing nations lag significantly far behind in vaccination rates. This is partially due to supply issues as wealthy […]

The Debate Between Author and Connector and Its Relation to Olivia Rodrigo

The Debate Between Author and Connector and Its Relation to Olivia Rodrigo

Today’s discussion in class regarding the debate of author and connector reminded me a lot of a podcast I had listened to a couple months back on Switched on Pop called “Déjà vu: Why Olivia Rodrigo keeps giving up song writing credits”. In this episode, hosts Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan discuss Olivia Rodrigo’s album […]

Trademark Collaborations: Yeezy x Gap, Biebs x Tim’s

Trademark Collaborations: Yeezy x Gap, Biebs x Tim’s

If you have been in or around a Tim Horton’s in the past few weeks, you may have seen the current promotion involving Justin Bieber. Beanies, tote bags, Tim Bits boxes and even fanny packs bear the tim x biebs mark. This collaboration is incredibly bizarre to me. Aside from being famously Canadian brands, I […]

Did Mr. Big’s death kill Peloton’s goodwill?

Did Mr. Big’s death kill Peloton’s goodwill?

*(spoiler alert if you want to watch the Sex and the City Reboot)* I am sure many of you are familiar with this story, but in case some of us aren’t major ‘Sex in the City’ fans, I thought I would share a brief post on it about a recent trademark issue that came up […]

Did Lululemon Innovate Leggings and Sportsbras?

Did Lululemon Innovate Leggings and Sportsbras?

Hi All, I found this article on patent infringement quite intriguing. Lululemon is suing Peloton for patent infringement in US court on several of its apparel items, namely sports bras and leggings. Maybe this highlights the differences between American and Canadian patent law or maybe this highlights my own ignorance in fashion. However, in Canada, […]