Protecting Developing Countries through the Trips Agreement: What is the Real State of Play?

Wiseman Ubochioma is a doctoral candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and is taking the Intellectual Property Theory course. The TRIPS Agreement has always been heralded as a milestone achievement recorded in the field of intellectual property. It provides a minimum standard of intellectual property protection among WTO members and reduces the […]

Women and IP: Finding the Elusive Balance in Intellectual Property

Amanda Carpenter is a JD Student at Osgoode Hall Law School and Katrina Leung is a JD Student at Queen’s University. On 6 November 2009, IP Osgoode and the Institute for Feminist Legal Studies jointly organized the second annual Women and IP Roundtable. Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP hosted the event at their downtown Toronto office. […]

The Public Domain: IP, Culture, and Democracy

Jonathan MacKenzie is an LLM candidate at Osgoode Hall and is taking the Intellectual Property Theory course. Since its first significant formal uses - in the 1896 decision of Singer v. June and the United States' 1909 Copyright Act - the term "public domain" has become a key component of the North American IP legal regime. […]

The Disappearing Tail: A Clue to the challenges facing Copyright

Virgil Cojocaru is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. ‘The Long Tail’, written by Chris Anderson refers to the alleged effect of online stores such as Netflix appealing to smaller niches. Individually these niches do not yield a large profit, but collectively (hence the long part) they can provide a handsome reward. Some […]

Facebook and Online Privacy: A game of cat and mouse

Virgil Cojocaru is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. You are shopping online, surfing on Blockbuster. The next day one of your friends on Facebook messages you, “hey Dave, nice choice in movies!” What has just happened here? Some might argue this is just amicable banter between close friends. Others might quickly point […]

Microsoft Calls for a Single Global Patent System

In a recent post Microsoft's Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, articulated the need for a global patent system calling it "a necessity, if national patent authorities are to overcome the substantial difficulties they face". With respect to patent applications, such difficulties include, increased number of patent application backlogs, longer pendency periods, […]

Q&A with Osgoode Alumnus: Scott Beeser

Scott Beeser is a Patent Attorney at Apotex Inc. in Toronto.  He obtained a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Utah and a LLB from Osgoode Hall in 2002. He is a registered Canadian Patent and Trade-mark Agent.  Prior to joining Apotex, Dr. Beeser was an associate at a IP-boutique in Toronto. Scott answered […]

WTO, TRIPS & Dispute Settlement: Exploring the Intersection Between International Trade, Intellectual Property Rights and The WTO Dispute Resolution Process

Nirav Bhatt is an LLM candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. BACKGROUND During the early 1990s, the extent of protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property ("IP") rights varied widely around the world. As IP became more important in trade, these differences became a source of tension in international economic relations. New internationally-agreed trade rules for […]

Intellectual Property in Munich, Germany

This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Munich, Germany where I attended summer courses in Copyright and Patent law. I attended this program though the George Washington University Law School and the courses were held at the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law.  What I learned in the classroom […]

Q&A with Osgoode Alumnus: Lesley Ellen Harris

Lesley Ellen Harris is an Osgoode Hall Law School Alumnus ('85) who is a copyright lawyer/consultant and works on legal, business, and strategic issues in the publishing, content, entertainment, Internet, and information industries. She is the editor of the Copyright & New Media Law Newsletter and the author of several books.  Her newest book is […]