5G Networks Promise More Innovation and Disruption — But They Promise More Regulatory Discussions, Too

On June 4 to 6, 2018, the 2018 Canadian Telecom Summit (“CTS 2018”) featured discussions on the rise of a new protagonist in the information domain — 5G wireless networks. The event provided scope for continuing the conversation on how to support 5G deployment and what the new technology will mean to entrepreneurs, innovators, the […]

Fair Balance, Proportionality and Revamping the Publication Rule — Will these Efforts Resolve the Problem of Online Intermediaries? It’s Unlikely.

The Law Commission of Ontario recently held a conference as part of a consultation process for its “Defamation Law in the Internet Age” project. The event provided scope for continuing the conversation around reform of defamation laws in the context of fast-moving and far-reaching developments in technology and social values.

AI & Industries — An Interplay That Hints at the Way to Governance

Virtually every industry resorts to artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies to streamline processes, enhance performance, and improve service provision. As AI becomes ubiquitous in our everyday lives, it is necessary to create guidelines to help us navigate the changes these advancements cause in our society. Crafting such a roadmap for AI governance is nonetheless an uphill task […]

Toward a Coherent Moral Centre

Legislation and reform, one of Prof. Vaver’s main scholarly themes, was a focus of IP Osgoode’s symposium in honour of Professor David Vaver’s appointment to the Order of Canada. The discussion around the need for reform was targeted at making intellectual property (“IP”) “more about the public” and consistent with the values of “access,” “distribution,” […]

What’s Innovative About Cryptocurrency and Hayek’s “Free Market Money”? — Some Understated Obstacles in the Race for Blockchain Patents

If we are going to be fair, the cryptocurrency idea dates back to almost forty years ago. In an article published in the Wall Street Journal on August 19, 1977, Friedrich Hayek — the economist and philosopher whose work on a theory of money earned him a Nobel Prize — anticipated that many different types […]