Intellectual Property
-
May 16, 2025
Competition Bureau releases 2025-26 annual plan, builds on legislative changes
The Competition Bureau has released its annual plan for 2025-26, saying it will continue to build on previous legislative changes aimed at enhancing competition, especially in the face of “rapid shifts in trade, market dynamics and technology.”
-
May 16, 2025
Federal Court extends deadlines for immigration JRs due to surging cases, inadequate gov’t funding
Contending with far too many immigration cases for its tight budget, the Federal Court this week extended by 45 days its regulation 30-day deadlines for litigants to perfect their applications for leave and judicial review of immigration decisions (ALJRs). Why? Because the registry’s beleaguered staff simply can’t keep up, and now often needs weeks rather than days to intake and process the ALJRs — which have more than quadrupled the average volume the court experienced over the five years immediately preceding the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
-
May 16, 2025
Karl Racine joins Smart & Biggar
The trademarks practice group at Smart & Biggar has been joined by associate Karl Racine.
-
May 15, 2025
Federal Court upholds Alexion patent, blocks Amgen biosimilar launch until 2027
The Federal Court has upheld the validity of a patent held by Alexion Pharmaceuticals on a drug for the treatment of a rare blood disorder and granted an injunction blocking Amgen Canada from launching a competing product until 2027.
-
May 14, 2025
New federal Cabinet ministers talk tax cuts, lowering trade barriers, work-life balance and Gaza
Newly minted federal Cabinet ministers spoke for the first time about their portfolios with Hill media on May 14, as Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that the Liberals’ promised “middle-class” tax cut will be in place by July 1, 2025, and Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne disclosed that the minority Liberal government has no plans for a federal budget this year — but intends to deliver an economic statement on an unspecified date in fall 2025.
-
May 14, 2025
Alberta court upholds privacy commissioner’s order effectively banning Clearview AI
U.S.-based facial recognition technology giant Clearview AI has been dealt another legal setback in Canada with an Alberta court decision upholding an effective ban on the company’s activities in the province.
-
May 13, 2025
New Carney Liberal Cabinet puts many lawyers on front benches in critical federal leadership roles
Lawyers who were key Cabinet members in Justin Trudeau's erstwhile minority Liberal government have assumed dominant roles in Prime Minister Mark Carney's new 29-member Liberal Cabinet.
-
May 13, 2025
Copyrights and AI: The balancing act between automation and ownership
At a time when a great majority of industries are making a shift or pushing for generative AI (GenAI) technology, one is encouraged to ask: how can a publisher make use of GenAI, and how does that play into copyrights, particularly at a time when it is more important than ever to keep work copyrighted?
-
May 12, 2025
Federal Court of Appeal: Copyright Board exceeded jurisdiction in tariff redetermination
The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the Copyright Board of Canada exceeded its authority by making additional changes to retransmission royalties beyond what the court had ordered it to reconsider.
-
May 09, 2025
LSO announces three candidates for treasurer
The Law Society of Ontario has announced that three candidates — Murray Klippenstein, Stephen Rotstein and incumbent Peter Wardle — have been nominated for the role of treasurer, with the election set for June 18.