Law Commons^™

A Modern Copyright Framework For Artificial Intelligence: Ip Scholars' Joint Submission To The Canadian Government Consultation, Pascale Chapdelaine, Carys J. Craig, Bita Amani, Sara Bannerman, Céline Castets-Renard, Lucie Guibault, Gregory R. Hagen, Cameron J. Hutchison, Ariel Katz, Alexandra Mogyoros, Graham J. Reynolds, Anthony D. Rosborough, Teresa Scassa, Myra Tawfik

Law Publications

In response to the Canadian government consultation process on the modernization of the copyright framework launched in the summer 2021, we hereby present our analysis and recommendations concerning the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI). The recommendations herein reflect the shared opinion of the intellectual property scholars who are signatories to this brief. They are informed by many combined decades of study, teaching, and practice in Canadian and international intellectual property law.

In what follows, we explain:
- The importance of approaching the questions raised in the consultation with a firm commitment to maintaining the appropriate balance of rights …

Study Of The Underrepresentation Of Women And Women-Identifying Ip- Rights Holders, Company Founders And Senior Leadership: Final Report To Innovation Asset Collective, Myra Tawfik, Heather Pratt

Law Publications

In 2018 the Government of Canada (Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada) launched its National IP Strategy with a view to helping “Canadian businesses, creators, entrepreneurs and innovators understand, protect and access intellectual property (IP)” 1 Among its many policy initiatives, it identified the underrepresentation of women and womenidentifying2 and Indigenous entrepreneurs in the IP system as areas of concern.3 Encouraging greater success for these and other excluded groups necessarily means facilitating greater participation in generating, protecting and strategically leveraging their IP. In 2020, the Innovation Asset Collective (IAC), which was established pursuant to the National IP Strategy, issued a …

Contested Sovereignties: States, Media Platforms, Peoples, And The Regulation Of Media Content And Big Data In The Networked Society, Pascale Chapdelaine, Jaqueline Mcleod Rogers

Law Publications

This article examines the legal and normative foundations of media content regulation in the borderless networked society. We explore the extent to which internet undertakings should be subject to state regulation, in light of Canada’s ongoing debates and legislative reform. We bring a cross-disciplinary perspective (from the subject fields of law; communications studies, in particular McLuhan’s now classic probes; international relations; and technology studies) to enable both policy and language analysis. We apply the concept of sovereignty to states (national cultural and digital sovereignty), media platforms (transnational sovereignty), and citizens (autonomy and personal data sovereignty) to examine the competing dynamics …

Fair Dealing For The Purpose Of Education: York University V The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, Pascale Chapdelaine

Law Publications

In York University v The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (2020), the Federal Court of Appeal was confronted with two issues at the heart of ongoing debates in Canadian copyright law. First, whether tariffs of copyright collective societies are mandatory. Second, and the main focus of this case comment, how should the fair dealing doctrine be interpreted with respect to the purpose of education. The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the Federal Court decision that York University Fair dealing Guidelines did not meet the fair dealing requirements in copyright law. This case comment highlights how the Federal Court and Federal Court …

A Modern Copyright Framework For The Internet Of Things (Iot): Intellectual Property Scholars' Joint Submission To The Canadian Government Consultation, Pascale Chapdelaine, Anthony D. Rosborough, Aaron Perzanowski, Bita Amani, Sara Bannerman, Carys J. Craig, Lucie Guibault, Cameron J. Hutchison, Ariel Katz, Alexandra Mogyoros, Graham J. Reynolds, Teresa Scassa, Myra Tawfik

Law Publications

In response to the Canadian government consultation process on the modernization of the copyright framework launched in the summer 2021, we hereby present our analysis and recommendations concerning the interaction between copyright and the Internet of Things (IoT). The recommendations herein reflect the shared opinion of the intellectual property scholars who are signatories to this brief. They are informed by many combined decades of study, teaching, and practice in Canadian, US, and international intellectual property law.

In what follows, we explain:

•The importance of approaching the questions raised in the consultation with a firm commitment to maintaining the appropriate balance …

Graffiti, Street Art, Walls, And The Public In Canadian Copyright Law, Pascale Chapdelaine

Law Publications

Graffiti is vilified, and at the same time is increasingly revered and celebrated. This ambivalence is reflected in the general legal landscape that surrounds graffiti and other forms of street art at the criminal, civil and municipal levels. Within this general legal framework, the application of copyright law to graffiti and street art reveals a complex web of interwoven issues about the protection of the graffiti artist’s economic and moral rights and questions of illegality and public policy, and about the rights of the property owner of the “wall” on which the art resides, and the public. This book chapter …

Copyright User Rights And Remedies: An Access To Justice Perspective, Pascale Chapdelaine

Law Publications

In contemporary copyright law, there is an ongoing debate around the nature and scope of the rights users should have to copyright works, exacerbated by ongoing technological developments. Within that debate, this article queries the value of looking at the remedies users may have against copyright holders restricting their legitimate uses of works, as a means to further elucidate the nature and scope of user rights. While there is some value in looking at remedies to situate copyright user rights, an access to justice perspective to rights and remedies suggests that such approach may be too limiting with respect to …

Copyright User Rights And Access To Justice (Introduction), Pascale Chapdelaine

Law Publications

This is an introduction to selected articles published in vol. 35 of The Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice (2018) further to the Symposium: "Copyright User Rights and Access to Justice" hosted by Windsor Law on May 18-19 2017. It gives a brief overview of the concept of copyright user rights and access to justice, as well as of the main themes discussed in the articles and at the Symposium, including access to knowledge and human rights.

The Inventive Concept In Patent Law: Not So Obvious, Joshua Sealy-Harrington

Law Publications

The inventive concept in patent law, central to the Supreme Court’s test for whether a patent is invalid because of obviousness, lacks clarity. This article discusses that lack of clarity with reference to the vague and inconsistent treatment of the inventive concept in the jurisprudence of the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada. In particular, this article discusses two unanswered questions: whether the inventive concept is a necessary part of the obviousness inquiry and what the inventive concept actually means. In answering the second question, this article explores three discrete stages in the evolution of …

Copyright Users' Rights In International Law, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

No abstract provided.

Access To Digital Information: Gift Or Right?, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

The 21st century started with a bang, at least from the perspective of the widespread adoption of information technologies, and market hype for overvalued technology stock. There was a second bang shortly afterwards, when the bubble burst. We are now entering a period of greater stability for the appreciation of information technology in society, as well as sustained development, albeit in a financial environment that has become uncertain. This collection of essays addresses some of the issues that face our society in deciding how best to handle access to, and monopolies over, knowledge. It includes detailed examination of the social, …

From Music Tracks To Google Maps: Who Owns Computer-Generated Works?, Mark Perry, Thomas Margoni

Law Publications

Increasingly the digital content used in everyday life has little or no human intervention in its creation. Typically, when such content is delivered to consumers it comes with attached claims of copyright. However, depending on the jurisdiction, approaches to ownership of computer-generated works vary from legislated to uncertain. In this paper we look at the various approaches taken by the common law, such as in Canada, and the legislative approach taken in the United Kingdom. The options for how computer-generated works may be treated and suggestions for their best placement in copyright are discussed.

The Creation Of University Intellectual Property: Confidential Information, Data Protection, And Research Ethics, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

Protection of commercial confidences is both required as part of the intellectual property provisions of current trade agreements and routinely prerequisite for achieving patent protection. This paper discusses the protection of such commercial confidences and the relationship of this protection with the statutory regime in Canada of personal data protection, but does so within the specific context of an examination of these matters in light of the governance of the processes of research conducted in universities. The nexus of university research and commercial research occurs frequently—for example, in the area of the development and testing of drugs in Canada. The …

Confidential Information And Privacy-Related Law In Canada And In International Instruments, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

Canadians like to think their country is law-abiding and honours its international commitments. Is Our House in Order? explores this public perception while considering whether or not it is correct in terms of domestic law.

Examining a range of topics such as treaty implementation, federal-provincial relations, the environment, international humanitarian law, and the protection of confidential information, contributors disentangle the complex processes involved in implementing international law in Canadian law. They highlight how the federal negotiation and ratification process has been opened up to the public, what is being done to give effect to custom in domestic law, and offer …

The Author As Agent Of Information Policy: The Relationship Between Economic And Moral Rights In Copyright, Margaret Ann Wilkinson, Natasha Gerolami

Law Publications

A historical and theoretical analysis of the copyright environment demonstrates that both the economic rights associated with copyright and the moral rights often associated with copyright perform social functions. The latter have not been as universally embraced or adopted as the former. The lack of enthusiasm for moral rights is argued to be because the social utility of this aspect of the copyright regime has gone largely unrecognised. In fact, moral rights ensure that the information needs of the public are being met because they enhance the ability to assess the authority and reliability of information. While historically this has …

Battleground Between New And Old Orders: Control Conflicts Between Copyright And Personal Data Protection, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

This book brings together contributions from reputed experts on Canadian intellectual property law which highlight its special features. Situated at the crossroads between legal traditions in Europe and the United States, Canada’s intellectual property laws blend various elements from these regions and can offer innovative approaches. The chapters focus primarily on patents, trademarks, and copyrights, covering both historical and contemporary developments. They are designed to bring perspective and reflection upon what has become in recent years a very rich intellectual property environment.

In this book, reputed experts highlight the special features of Canadian intellectual property law. Situated at the crossroads …

Legal Protocols And Practices For Managing Copyright In Electronic Theses, Mark Perry, Paula Callan

Law Publications

At Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane Australia, PhD and Masters by Research candidates are required to deposit both print and digital copies of their theses and dissertations. The fulltext of these digital theses is then made freely available online via the Australian Digital Thesis (ADT) collection. Management of copyright issues has been a major headache and workload problem for the Library: there are many parties involved in the deposit process, and the lack of a common understanding about the rights and responsibilities of the various stakeholders has made the process very complex and time consuming. The response of …

The Public Interest In Moral Rights Protection, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Knowledge Assets: Can Law Reform Help?, Margaret Ann Wilkinson, Mark Perry

Law Publications

No abstract provided.

The Information Context Of Moral Rights Under The Copyright Regime, Margaret Ann Wilkinson, Natasha Gerolami

Law Publications

Moral rights have not been so uniformly or widely adopted as economic copyrights for authors, perhaps because the actual and potential value of moral rights in ensuring information needs are met has gone unrecognized. The authors demonstrate that moral rights protection can enhance authority control in the new information environment.

National Treatment, National Interest And The Public Domain, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

The concept of the "public domain" is a powerful rhetorical element in he policy debates involving intellectual property. But is it a stable and useful concept for analyzing information issues? Can the notion of the public domain and the concept of the information commons be separated? Is the notion of the public domain merely another way of expressing the public interest?

This paper canvassed the literature, seeking a theoretically consistent definition for public domain that was equally applicable across the copyright, trademark and patent spheres. The analysis demonstrated that there is no such construct.

The paper also reviews the findings …

The Copyright Regime And Data Protection Legislation, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

No abstract provided.

Copyright In The Context Of Intellectual Property: A Survey Of Canadian University Policies, Margaret Ann Wilkinson

Law Publications

Traditionally, the federal government has been considered the major player in information policy concerning copyrights and patents because both come within its exclusive legislative competence. Increasingly, however, two trends are becoming clear: intellectual property policy cannot be considered in isolation from other economic and social policy issues and national governments are increasingly constrained in terms of their direct actions with respect to specific intellectual property protections by the government's wider commitments developed through the process of international trade negotiation. It is argued in this paper that the role of those who actually control the intellectual property created or used in …

Whither Industrial Design, Margaret Ann Wilkinson, Amy Muhlstein

Law Publications

The scope of the Industrial Design Act in Canada is much narrower than the concept of industrial designs, as original and unique manufactured objects, in industry. Indeed, the Industrial Design Act applies only to the aspects of industrial designs which we have described as the design aspects. Similar protection of the design aspects of industrial designs exist in Britain and the United States, although, as discussed, these protections take different forms in each jurisdiction. Although some of the aspects of industrial designs other than the design aspects receive no intellectual property protection in any of the three jurisdictions, others are …

Acts Of Parliament: Privatisation, Promulgation And Crown Copyright – Is There A Need For A Royal Royalty?, Mark Perry

Law Publications

The road of privatisation of government assets is littered with the debris of mishaps and oversights. One clear illustration is the history and effect of the sale of the Government Printing Office (GPO) in 1990. Within the sale process there was a failure to ensure adequate consideration of the policy implications from an important perspective, namely the effect of privatising the means of promulgation of the normative materials of the State. Furthermore, there was no enquiry into the dubious assumptions made as to Crown Copyright in legislation.

Intellectual property rights in primary legal materials create a dilemma for policy makers. …

Shifting The Balance Of Copyright Control For Photographic Works In Canada, Margaret Ann Wilkinson, Charles Painter

Law Publications

This case comments upon the recent Ontario Divisional Court decision in Allen v Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd (1997), 36 OR (3d) 201 (Ont Div Ct), focusing upon the issue of ownership of copyright in photogenic works in Canada, and the negative effects that this decision will ahve, if followed in other cases and jurisdictions, upon creators' ability to control their works and to derive full economic benefit therefrom as envisioned under Canada's Copyright Act, RSC 1985 c C-42.