Shift Law | Our Insights in Copyright, Trademark & IP Law

The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Trademark on Amazon

For many businesses, selling their products on Amazon is a great way to boost sales and to get their brand in front of a wider audience. However, the added exposure is not without…

Willy Wonka ad shows effectiveness of social media IP policing policies

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Willy Wonka attack ad against Justin Trudeau on Twitter is a good example of how intellectual property rights enforcement procedures on social media platforms can…

SCC refuses to say whether copyright guidelines are fair dealing

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) handed York University a big win last month, holding that it is not bound to pay royalties to Access Copyright…

The intellectual property protection Banksy wants comes at a cost

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The latest attempt by famed street artist Banksy to remain in the shadows while protecting his iconic work from unauthorized reproduction is “an interesting study in…

Copyright case examines the issue of history repeating itself

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • It has often been said that one cannot rewrite history but that is not necessarily the case when it comes to copyright law, says Toronto intellectual property…

New Measures for Expedited and Timelier Trademark Examination in Canada

With the increasingly lengthy timelines for the Canadian Trademarks Office (“CIPO”) to examine new trademark applications – now approaching almost 32 months in some cases – CIPO has published two new Practice…

Federal Court dismisses CBC’s copyright lawsuit over election attack ads

The Federal Court has dismissed the CBC’s copyright infringement lawsuit against the Conservative Party of Canada, finding that the unauthorized use of its broadcast footage in a political attack ad was fair…

Trademarks Office unveils measures to ease ’embarrassing’ backlog

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • New measures designed to expedite trademark applications are certainly welcome but may not go far enough to ease a growing backlog in the Canadian Trademarks Office, says Toronto intellectual…

Devil is in the details in Nike’s ‘Satan Shoe’ trademark battle

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Nike’s recent court victory to stop the sale of “Satan Shoes” is the latest high profile legal battle relating to “mashup culture,” says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John…

Tragically Hip lawsuit against brewer is a ‘run-of-the-mill’ case

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Tragically Hip’s trademark infringement lawsuit against Mill Street Brewery may raise the question of whether appropriating something of iconic cultural significance can be justified but…

Court dismisses TRREB’s motion for an interlocutory injunction

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A recent Federal Court of Canada decision illustrates the importance of moving quickly when seeking an interlocutory injunction in a copyright case, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson….

Government Fees to Increase for US Trademarks

Effective January 2, 2021, the US Patent and Trademarks Office (“USPTO”) will be increasing a number of its fees for new US trademark applications, US trademark registration maintenance filings, and US cancellation…

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