Intellectual Property
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November 07, 2025
Cultural loss cited in Churchill portrait theft sentence appeal
It was the Canadian equivalent of a break-in at the Louvre. It involved a photograph taken in 1941 during Winston Churchill’s visit to Ottawa, where then-prime minister Mackenzie King invited Yousuf Karsh to photograph the U.K. leader.
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November 07, 2025
Can celebrities lose the right to their voice?
Back in May 2024, actress Scarlett Johansson was embroiled in a legal dispute with OpenAI when the company released a voice for its ChatGPT assistant, “Sky,” which sounded strangely similar to her own. Johansson had previously declined an offer to voice the AI, and this alleged mimicry was done without her permission. OpenAI has since removed the “Sky” voice and paused its release, while the issues remain in dispute.
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November 04, 2025
Court denies injunction in trademark dispute between mental health program providers
The Federal Court has dismissed a motion for an interlocutory injunction in an alleged trademark infringement case concerning the term “guardians” used by mental health and addictions program providers.
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October 30, 2025
Exclusive: Chief Justice Crampton reflects on Federal Court’s successes and ongoing challenges
As he steps down today from the diversified and expert bench he’s recruited over the past 14 years, Federal Court Chief Justice Paul Crampton says he’s confident about the national trial court’s future, even though the full implementation of the court’s “digital shift” awaits the necessary funding from Ottawa.
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October 28, 2025
CJ Crampton says Federal Court ‘won’t hesitate’ to impose costs on lawyers for undisclosed GenAI use
Counsel who “thumb their noses” at the Federal Court’s requirement to disclose any and all generative AI they used to create court filings will find that the national trial court “won’t hesitate” to ding them with personal costs or initiate contempt proceedings, warns Federal Court Chief Justice Paul Crampton.
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October 27, 2025
Court issues fine in contempt case for social media videos
The Federal Court has issued a fine to a gym owner in a case of contempt where he posted social media videos conveying confidential information from a mediation.
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October 24, 2025
Lavery expands with 7 new lawyers across Quebec offices
Lavery has added seven new lawyers to its Montreal, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières offices: Stephanie Cech, Laurence Isabelle, Philippe Juhos, Myriam Lachance, Arianne Leduc, Jessy Menard and Arielle Supino.
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October 23, 2025
Federal Court of Appeal overturns patent ruling over claim differentiation error
The Federal Court of Appeal has partly overturned a ruling on a fracking tool patent, finding the trial judge misapplied the principle of claim differentiation by concluding that the limitations of a dependent claim must be excluded from its corresponding independent claim.
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October 23, 2025
Crunch: Making the legal case for snack foods
Potato chips and related crunchy snack foods have long held a cherished place on Canadian tables, symbolizing both comfort and indulgence. Behind the satisfying crunch of every bite lies an intricate tapestry of regulations and legal considerations. These legal factors, which influence every stage of a product’s life, from initial development to final consumption, ensure that consumers receive safe, accurately labelled and well-marketed products.
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October 22, 2025
Court sets aside expungement of video game trademark due to notice issue
The Federal Court has set aside a decision of the registrar in a case where a video game company claimed it did not receive notice of a challenge to its trademark resulting in it being expunged.