Glen Bloom has been a partner in Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt’s Ottawa office since 1985. He practices intellectual property law and litigation, primarily copyright, trade-mark and patent matters and frequently appears before the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Trade-marks Opposition Board and the Copyright Board.Glen was Editor in Chief of the Canadian Patent Reporter (1999-2008) and a past president of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (1998–99). He was a founding board member of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority where he served as Vice Chair (2000–2001).

From 1989 to 1999 he was an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Common Law of the University Ottawa where he established the faculty’s courses on Intellectual Property Protection of Computer Technology and on Copyright Law. He has also been invited as a speaker at numerous conferences sponsored by the National Judicial Institute, Federal Court of Canada, U.S. Department of Commerce, Law Society of Upper Canada, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, Canadian Bar Association, University of Ottawa, York University (Toronto), Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), Los Angeles Copyright Society and International Trade-mark Association, among others.  For a more detailed biography, click here.

Mario Bouchard is general counsel with the Copyright Board of Canada. A member of the Quebec bar, he holds a master’s degree from l’Université Laval. He was legislative counsel to the Quebec National Assembly, teaching associate in Public Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Birmingham (U.K.), research coordinator of the administrative law project of the Law Reform Commission of Canada, wine broker, counsel to the federal department of Justice and head of legal services at the Immigration and Refugee Board. He has appeared before the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. He has authored several papers dealing with copyright, the work of the Copyright Board, collective administration and orphan works. His most recent one compares the operations and regulation of collective management organizations in Australia and Canada.

As General Counsel to the Copyright Board, Mr. Bouchard has been involved in many files dealing with copyright law reform and new technologies, including proposed tariffs for the use of music over the Internet and by satellite radio. Mr. Bouchard is a member of the external advisory board of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic.

M. Jean-Paul Boulay is currently Director, Special projects, at the Copyright Policy Branch of Canadian Heritage. He has jeld the position of Director, Policy development, for the past four years within that same organization. M. Boulay has extensive experience in legislative, regulatory and parliamentary matters from senior positions held in Justice Canada and Transport Canada. His experience encompasses other areas such as crisis management as he played a significant role in managing the 9/11 crisis as Director of Emergency Preparedness in Transport Canada. He also occupied the position of Director of planning and research in the Communications Branch of that same department. M. Boulay is a graduate ot the University of Ottawa.

Jane E. Caskey is a partner at Ogilvy Renault LLP.  She practises intellectual property law, including patent and trade-mark infringement litigation, trade-mark prosecution and opposition work, licensing, injunctions and commercial litigation. She is Toronto Chair of Ogilvy Renault’s Intellectual Property Group.

Ms. Caskey has extensive experience as an advocate at both the trial and appellate levels on applications and motions, as well as at trial, and appears regularly before the Federal Court of Canada and the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Ms. Caskey also participates in resolving client issues through negotiation/alternative dispute resolution and has broad experience as an advocate on arbitrations and mediations, and before administrative tribunals

For a more detailed biography, click here.

Born September 16, 1941, in Montreal, Quebec. Educated at Queen’s University (B.Sc. 1963) and University of Toronto (LL.B. 1966). Called to the Bar of Ontario (1968) and Alberta (1976). Appointed Queen’s Counsel (1984). Associate and Partner, Sim, Hughes, Ashton & McKay and Sim & McBurney (1969 – 2005). Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property Law and in Civil Litigation, Law Society of Upper Canada; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers; Fellow, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada; Registered Professional Engineer (1964), Registered Trade Mark Agent (1968), Registered Patent Agent (1969); Past-President, Patent and Trademark Institute of Canada; Past Director, Advocates’ Society; Author and speaker, Court practice and procedure, patent, trade mark and copyright law, and media and entertainment law. Appointed Judge of the Federal Court, and ex officio, member of the Federal Court of Appeal, June 1, 2005. Appointed as a Judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada on June 23, 2006.

A member of Osgoode Hall Law School’s faculty since 1982, Professor Monahan is the Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School as of July 1, 2003. He is also Chair of the Board of Governors of the Ontario Law Commission, which is housed at Osgoode Hall Law School commencing in the 2007-08 academic year. Between 1986 and 1990, he was Senior Policy Advisor to the Attorney General and Premier of Ontario respectively where he played a key role in the negotiation of the 1987 Meech Lake Accord.Professor Monahan has acted as advisor to the federal government as well as a number of provincial governments respecting economic, constitutional and international trade matters. He was the Director of the York University Centre for Public Law and Public Policy for most of the 1990s, through to 2002. He is the author of several books, including Constitutional Law, 3rd edition (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2006) and Liability of the Crown, 3rd edition (with Peter Hogg) (Toronto: Carswell, 2000).  He is the recipient of the 2008 David W. Mundell Medal for Legal Writing awarded by the Attorney General of Ontario.  For a more detailed biography, click here.

Mr. Olsen is currently Director, Legislation and Negotiations at the Copyright Policy Branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage.  The Copyright Policy Branch ensures that Canada’s copyright policy framework, a cornerstone of cultural policy, supports creation, innovation and access to cultural works.  The Branch provides research and analysis to develop and maintain a copyright policy framework that responds to the emerging challenges of domestic and international trends. 

Prior to joining Canadian Heritage, Mr. Olsen was the Chief of Economic Analysis at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  He has also held positions at Industry Canada in telecommunications policy and in the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Program.

He served as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority from 2000-2002, and has represented Canada at the Governmental Advisory Committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.  He also served on the Secretariat of the National Broadband Task Force.  He holds an M.A. in Economics from the University of Toronto, and received his L.L.B. from the University of British Columbia.  He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1997. 

Born December 25, 1940 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Educated at Winnipeg schools and University of Manitoba, B.Com., 1962, LL.B., 1966. Called to the Bar of Manitoba, 1966. Married to Sheila Dorfman of Montreal on June 12, 1966. Four children: Ronald, Douglas, Tracey and Robert, and three grandchildren. Associate Thorvaldson, Eggertson, Saunders and Mauro, 1966-69; Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson, 1969-72; partner Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson, 1972-92, member and periodic Chairman of Management Committee/Executive Board, 1981-92. Appointed Q.C., 1979. Practised in the areas of Administrative Law and Litigation, primarily Transportation and Competition Law. Labour and commercial arbitrator. Adjudicator, Manitoba Human Rights Act, 1978-83. Member, Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, 1986-92. Appeared before federal and Manitoba Administrative Tribunals, Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, Manitoba Court of Appeal, Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada. Lecturer, Transportation Law, University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, 1970-83, 1988-92. Lecturer, Contract Law, University of Manitoba, Extension Department, 1970-75. Bar Admission Course Lecturer, Law Society of Manitoba, 1970-75. Secretary (Administrator), Civil Legal Aid Committee, Law Society of Manitoba, 1968-70. Chairman, Commission on Compulsory Retirement (Manitoba), 1981-82. Chairman, Ministerial Task Force on International Air Policy (Canada), 1990-91. Member, Manitoba Transportation Industry Development Advisory Committee, 1985-87, and Chairman, 1987-90. Member, Airports Task Force, 1985-86. Member, Airports Transfer Advisory Board, 1988-92. Member, External Advisory Committee, University of Manitoba Transport Institute, 1989-92. Judge of the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division, and member ex officio Appeal Division, June 24, 1992 – January 20, 1999. Appointed to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, October 29, 1992. Judicial member of the Competition Tribunal, May 31, 1993 – January 20, 1999. Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal, January 21, 1999. Appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, March 1, 2006.

Barry Sookman is a partner with McCarthy Tétrault and co-chair of its Technology Law Group. He is also the former head of its Internet and Electronic Commerce Group. Prior to that, he was head of its Intellectual Property Group for six years. He is one of Canada’s foremost authorities in the area of Information Technology Law.Mr. Sookman is the author of the leading three-volume text entitled Sookman: Computer Law: Acquiring and Protecting Information Technology (Carswell 1989-1999) and the leading four-volume text Sookman: Computer, Internet and Electronic Commerce Law (Carswell 1999-2005).

Mr. Sookman also authored Computer, Internet and Electronic Commerce Terms: Judicial, Legislative and Technical Definitions (2001-2004). In addition, he is a contributing author to the following: Gordon Henderson Copyright Law in Canada (Carswell 1994), Barbara McIsaac The Law of Privacy in Canada (Carswell 2000-2003); George Takach The Software Business (McGraw Hill 1999); and Marco Giovanoli International Monetary Law: Issues for the New Millenium (Oxford 2000). Mr. Sookman is also the author of numerous articles dealing with information technology and intellectual property and is a frequent speaker on legal issues related to computer, electronic commerce, internet law and intellectual property. For a more detailed biography, click here.

David Tobin has over thirty years experience in a variety of federal public service management positions. He has experience in both domestic and international fields as well as in policy and operational matters. His most recent position prior to his retirement was Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trade-marks and Chief Executive Officer Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) He held this position from November 1999 until April 2007.

CIPO provides products and services to the intellectual property users (business, universities, IP agents, general public) in support of Canada’s domestic and international interests in intellectual property. It administers the intellectual property systems in Canada including the granting of patents, trade-marks and registration of other intellectual property. The Commissioner and Registrar has separate, independent authority in the decision to grant or reject an application.

Prior to this he had a number of other positions including General Director
Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance, from January 1997 – November 1999, and Director General Corporate Governance Branch, Department of Industry Canada, September 1991 to December 1996.

He had previous experience at Department of Fisheries as well in the private sector. He holds degrees from Concordia University (Loyola College) and Carleton.

Justice Weiler received her B.A. from the University of Saskatchewan and her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1967.  After articling with Blake, Cassels & Graydon, she was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1969.  She practised law with Weiler, Weiler and Maloney in Thunder Bay until 1972 when she returned to Toronto and entered the LL.M. program at Osgoode Hall.  She received her LL.M. in 1974.  She was counsel for the Ministry of the Attorney General and later became Senior Counsel in the Policy Development Division.  Appointed to the former District Court of Ontario in 1980, and to the Ontario High Court, February 21, 1989, Justice Weiler was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario on March 12, 1992.  She was also appointed to the Court Martial Appeal Court on July 26, 1995. 

Justice Weiler is fluent in French and presides over appeals in the French language.  She has been a director of the American Judicature Society, the Canadian Judges Conference, and the International Association of Women Judges – Canadian Chapter.  Justice Weiler has also served on the Justice Minister’s Advisory Committee for Judicial Appointments.  Over the course of her twenty-seven years on the bench, and now fifteen years as an appellate judge, Justice Weiler has written judgments in all areas of law: criminal, civil, constitutional, administrative, employment and labour law and municipal law.