Intellectual Property
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June 17, 2025
The importance of a well-drafted confidentiality clause, and the dangers of AI
A recent US$3.1-million award by a Florida jury in favour of Pliteq, Inc. (Pliteq, Inc. v. Mostafa, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60316), a Canadian international engineering services and manufacturing enterprise, against a high-ranking Dubai-based employee who stole trade secrets demonstrates that — despite cross-border tensions — Donald Trump’s America may still be a favourable place for Canadian businesses to seek and obtain justice.
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June 17, 2025
Your job as lawyers? Take the A out of AI
You may have heard news recently that the driving law in Canada will be changing federally. You’ve probably seen a Facebook post, an Instagram story or even a news story on a website indicating that there will be national changes to driving laws in Canada beginning on July 1, 2025.
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June 16, 2025
Canadian IP Office advances online tools, cuts application backlog: report
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has tabled its 2023–2024 annual report in Parliament noting progress it made in that fiscal year, including developing over 200 online intellectual property (IP) tools.
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June 10, 2025
Canada’s top judge declares ‘in this country, the rule of law is non-negotiable’
Lawyers, as officers of the court, have a professional “responsibility and obligation” to defend the rule of law and the independence of the bar and judiciary against attacks, Chief Justice of Canada Richard Wagner said at his annual news conference in Ottawa.
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June 09, 2025
Civil society advocates, information watchdog seek major overhaul of Access to Information Act
Advocates for greater government transparency and accountability have called on the Carney government to stand up an “independent” review — and then speedily overhaul — the much-criticized federal Access to Information Act.
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June 09, 2025
A sweet case
Often, in response to an opposition, an applicant causes a separate proceeding(s) to be brought under s. 45 of the Trademarks Act attacking the registration(s) relied on by the opponent.
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June 06, 2025
PM Carney appoints parliamentary secretaries to support lawyer-rich cabinet & PMO
Prime Minister Mark Carney has tapped a number of lawyers to assist the many lawyers he has already appointed to key cabinet posts.
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June 04, 2025
Court allows contempt motion in trademark case for social media videos
The Federal Court has found a corporate plaintiff’s director in contempt of court for posting videos on social media relating to the mediation process to settle trademark litigation.
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June 03, 2025
Federal Court rejects default motion in skincare trademark case
The Federal Court has dismissed a motion for default judgment, despite finding that a defendant was in default, because the plaintiff did not establish ownership of a trademark related to a skincare device.
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June 02, 2025
Prime Minister Carney taps Montreal lawyers for key roles in PMO
Prime Minister Mark Carney has hired prominent Montreal lawyer Marc-André Blanchard, the former chair and CEO of McCarthy Tétrault LLP, as his chief of staff, while ex-federal justice minister David Lametti, counsel with Montreal’s Fasken, is also taking on senior responsibilities in the new Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), according to media reports.