IP Osgoode helps provide opportunities for Osgoode law students to get practical training and work experience in IP law.  We are currently expanding upon and identifying new opportunities for students.  If you are an Osgoode student interested in clinical opportunities, or if you represent an organization that may have an interest in having an Osgoode student work on IP projects for you, then please contact us.

Intellectual Property Law and Technology Intensive Program (IP Intensive)

The Intellectual Property Law and Technology Intensive Program (IP Intensive) is a unique program offered at Osgoode Hall Law School that gives students practical, experiential education in a workplace setting for an entire term in lieu of being in the classroom.

The Program begins with 2 weeks of lectures by experts prominent in the IP community.  The lectures cover a wide variety of topics, from “ADR and Mediation in IP” to “Business and Economics of IP and Innovation”, from “Pharma and Biotech – R&D and Tech Transfer” to “Digital Media, Journalism and Freedom of Expression”.  Students have heard from a Federal Court judge, the Chair of the Trade-marks Opposition Board, General Counsel of the Copyright Board of Canada, counsel from the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office, in-house counsel from a broad range of industries, practitioners, and of course, academics.

Then students participate in an 11-week internship.  We have a wonderful array of placement partners from government agencies to music and media organizations to hi-tech companies and innovation centres.  Throughout the term the students meet periodically to discuss topics relating to intellectual property law, to share their experiences in the work environment, and to participate in a cross-pollination of ideas.  Students also maintain a reflective journal and blog on the IPilogue.  They are also responsible to lead their own seminar presentations during the wrap-up week of the course.

If you are interested in applying for this program, click here, or please contact us at iposgoode@osgoode.yorku.ca or contact Natia Tucci at ntucci@osgoode.yorku.ca or 416-736-5973 in the Clinical Education & Intensive Programs Department.

IP Osgoode Innovation Clinic

The Clinic
The IP Osgoode Innovation Clinic is a collaboration between IP Osgoode, the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), and Torys LLP providing pro bono assistance to OCE-supported start-up companies. The partnership with OCE is particularly significant, being the first collaboration that has ever existed in Canada between a law school and a proven, publicly-funded, innovation accelerator centre.

Under the supervision of Torys, student volunteers of Osgoode Hall Law School will work with OCE-supported companies to help them secure and protect their IP en route to commercial success.

Our Clients
The Clinic serves a diverse range of innovators, primarily from OCE’s priority areas: the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, and the biotechnology and green-technology sectors.

The clients are individuals or start-up companies who do not have the resources to hire a lawyer, patent agent, or other advisors. Obtaining just one patent in Canada can cost $20,000 or more from filing to final registration. Add to that the costs of additional patent applications, patent maintenance, incorporation, non-disclosure agreements, employment agreements, licensing agreements, and other legal structures, and the costs soon become prohibitive for innovators. We assist clients with reducing these costs, to help them take their innovations into the marketplace.

IP Osgoode Internships

A number of unique internship opportunities have been made available for Osgoode students interested in intellectual property and technology. Internship opportunities have included the following:

• Yahoo! Canada hired two Osgoode students (Tiffany Wong and Robert Agar) to work as interns on a variety of IP and technology issues, as part of Yahoo!’s legal team in Toronto. Read Tiffany Wong’s blog post describing her research experience during her summer legal internship at Yahoo! Canada.
• The McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute hired one Osgoode student (Blake Moran) to work on business and intellectual property law projects. Read about Blake’s experience.
• Two Osgoode students (Christopher Harris and Tony Pak) have been working with Inometrix Inc. on intellectual property projects.

Office of Research Services, York University

There may be special projects during the course of the school year for students to get involved in patent related work (such as patent searching, reviewing prior art, and working on patent manuscripts).

Osgoode Public Interest Requirement (OPIR)

All Osgoode JD students must fulfill 40 hours of public interest, law-related work and receive acknowledgement on their final transcripts as part of the Osgoode Public Interest Requirement. There are a number of IP related opportunities that may qualify, and IP Osgoode and the OPIR program are actively seeking more.

Read about Annie Messerkhanian’s experience with the Trade-marks Opposition Board at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

International Legal Partnership (ILP)

The International Legal Partnership is a non-profit student international legal assistance initiative based at Osgoode Hall Law School.  ILP’s mission is to provide global policy, legal regulatory and research assistance in developing countries (DCs).

Opportunities:

• People’s Patent Group (India).  Students interested in the intersection of IP and human rights may be interested in spending a summer in India as a Research Fellow.  The work touches on a number of issue areas within Intellectual Property (including patents, generic pharmaceuticals and genetically modified organisms).  Read more about the nature of the work and responsibilities by reading Justin Lim’s report on his experience, as well as blogs on IPilogue from India by Nigel D’Souza and Jasdeep Bal (Research Fellows for the summer of 2009).

Harold G. Fox – Intellectual Property Moot

Osgoode Hall participates annually in the Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot.

2012-2013

Osgoode’s 2012-2013 Harold G. Fox Moot team has been selected.  Representing Osgoode will be: Ryan Heighton and Ryan Keller in the role of the Respondent, Robert Trenker and David Bowden in the role of the Appellant, and Danny Titolo to round out the team.

2011-2012

Osgoode’s 2011-2012 Harold G. Fox Moot respondent team progressed to the final round of the competition.  The five students representing Osgoode were: Alex Chang (Class of 2012) and Kyle Rees (class of 2012) in the role of the Respondent, Aaron Kucharczuk (class of 2012) and Amanda Laren (class of 2013) for the Appellant, and Daniel Whalen (class of 2013).

Read the moot team’s reflections on the 2012 competition.

2010-2011

Osgoode’s 2010-2011 Harold G. Fox Moot team placed first.  The five students representing Osgoode were: Anna Koppelman, Devin Doyle, Jonathan Park, Kimberly Lawton, Leanna Yue. Devin Doyle and Kim Lawton finished in first place and received the Harold G. Fox Cup for best moot team.

2009-2010

Osgoode’s 2009-2010 Harold G. Fox Moot team placed second.  The five students representing Osgoode were: Alexander Gloor, Joanna Vatavu, Melanie Larock, Nathan Fan and Stuart Freen. Joanna and Melanie finished in second place at the Moot while Nathan and Alexander were the winners of the Gordon F. Henderson Award for the Best Factum Writers.

Read the moot team’s reflections from the 2010 competition.