Ariel Katz is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Toronto. Ariel holds the Innovation Chair in Electronic Commerce and is the Director of the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy of the University of Toronto. With the Public Copyright Consultations moving full steam ahead, various stake-holders raise proposals for expanding […]
The current decline in patent filings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has been well documented on many prominent intellectual property blog sites. In fact, according to a recent Patently-O blog entry, "new patent filings are down 16% so far in 2009." This post examines the variability in the number of application filings in the United […]
The period of data protection allocated to research-based, innovative drug companies is a hotly debated topic in the pharmaceutical industry and beyond. This period of protection allows research-based, brand name drug companies to maintain a monopoly on the market for any particular drug for a specified duration. During the period of data protection, competing generic drug […]
Despite the fact the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the United States fashion design industry, relative to other innovative sectors such as computing, music, television and film, may seem non-existent, fashion accounts for $200 billion in sales annually in the U.S. Two prominent legal scholars, Kal Raustiala and Christopher Springman, have written a series […]
In general, intellectual property (IP) rights encourage innovation by providing creators with an economic incentive to develop and share ideas through a form of a temporary monopoly. Proponents of traditional IP rights believe that individual creators should not only have a chance to profit from their works but also control how they are used. In […]
Chris Castle is Managing Partner of Christian L. Castle Attorneys, Los Angeles and San Francisco. On Thursday, May 21, U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel wrapped up hearings on the preliminary injunction she granted in the fall against Real Networks and its "RealDVD" copying software. And the Real "Facet" DVD copying and storage device […]
In his April 2008 report, ‘Between a Hard Rock and a Soft Space: Design, Creative Practice and Innovation’, Dr. John H. Howard discusses how the arts, humanities and social sciences can contribute to innovation systems and innovation policy by recognizing that design and creative practice play a central role in innovation. He argues that, while […]
Do you ever find yourself reminiscing about the past? Your first record player? Your first Walkman, then Discman, then mp3 player, then video iPod? As we take a look back at how technology has advanced throughout the years, it is clear that we can attribute that evolution to one thing: inventions through innovation. Of the […]
On Tuesday February 3, the Canadian Intellectual Property Council (CIPC), under the umbrella of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, held a conference on the global threat of illicit trade. The conference brought together stakeholders interested in the protection of intellectual property rights within Canada and around the world. IP Osgoode’s Rex Shoyama was invited as […]
The balance between private and public interests is usually the centre of most intellectual property policy debates, but this can be said to be especially significant with medical research performed by publicly funded institutions. In a nation such as ours where the health of our citizens is a responsibility of the government, public funds invested […]