Copyright & Social Media
Communications Law
The Devil Advocates for Prada – Designing Law for Fashion
The fashion world is no stranger to imitation, be it the artful homage to another designer or the much-derided “dupe” of a cut-rate pirate; famously avant-garde American designer Rick Owens told the Wall Street Journal in 2024 that “It’s always a delight,” to see his designs out in the world, “but it’s almost more of a […]
Copyright and Generative AI in Canada: the ISED Report
To many, the technological advancements leading to the widespread accessibility of generative AI (“genAI”) have been a source of excitement: simple inputs are now capable of solving complex and personalized problems, and information is as convenient to access as it has ever been. However, the implications of these advancements extend beyond what the average Canadian […]
Junior Sports Associations: Trademark and Copyright Considerations
Amateur sports teams have long used designs reminiscent of professional franchises, yet legal challenges arising from such use appear relatively rare. A 2018 article describing a youth lacrosse team’s use of a Vancouver Canucks trademark, resulting in legal intervention, prompted me to consider what made this situation different. Why can some youth organizations use similar […]
So I Wrote A Song About Copyright…
A big question we have asked ourselves in this IP class is “Who owns the copyright in an AI work?” It is a question that not only we—but courts and governments across the world have been struggling to answer. For my project I decided to write a song about copyright, and specifically, the different ways […]
Modern Day Preston v Lucas
Quick throwback to Copyright law: while reviewing the class, specifically Preston v Lucas and Cinar v Robinson, I was reminded of headlines I saw earlier this year about a strikingly similar case. In this case, Dave Franco and Allison Brie, along with a production company, are being sued over the horror movie “Together” by production […]
The IP Crossword
If you’re someone who loves a good mental workout, I’ve put together a fun, brain-tickling IP Crossword packed with clues that range from definitions to landmark cases. Think of it as the perfect blend of legal geekery and puzzle-solving joy. Give it a shot, and if you find yourself stuck on a clue or two, […]
AI Voice Cloning & Artist Remedies
I came across this Instagram reel made by the producer @itsyoungcheetah. In it, he got AI to make him a topline. He made the beat (he’s a producer after all), wrote the initial lyrics for the chorus and recorded himself performing it. However, because he is not an artist (in the vocal sense) so he […]
Fake Facts and Copyright Traps
In copyright, you cannot own a fact. In our earlier classes we learned this in Maltz v Witterick, where the Federal Court held that “the use of common historical facts is not copyright infringement.” Winkler v Hendley builds on this, and further holds that an author who publishes what is said to be a nonfiction […]
Is Sports Data Copyrightable? Exploring Data Compilations in Sports Betting
It has been established in Canada that sports broadcasting is subject to copyright law, but what about the substantive data that is the product of sport? In CBC v SODRAC the Supreme Court of Canada employed a purposive construction of the Copyright Act, specifically s. 3(1)(d), holding that reproduction rights remain exclusively with the copyright […]
Pokemon IP Law Expansion Pack
Press Play to Create Vibe for optimal viewing The 18 Card Expansion Deck Project Statement For this project, I chose to take one of my favourite intellectual properties, Pokémon, and mash it up with key themes from our course. The result is an 18-card “IP Law Expansion Pack” for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Each […]