Posts Tagged: "Supreme Court of Canada"

Canadian Federal Court Sets a New Subject-Matter Eligibility Test for Computer-Implemented Inventions

Clearing the air on labyrinthine subject-matter eligibility standards for computer-implemented inventions (CIIs), a Canadian Federal Court last month revisited the issue in Benjamin Moore & Co. v. Attorney General of Canada, 2022 FC 923. In its decision, the court, while setting a new test, rejected, for the second time, a problem-solution approach to claim construction followed by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) in examining patent applications. The appeal was filed against decisions by the Canadian Commissioner of Patents finding two Canadian Patent Applicants numbered 2,695,130 and 2,695,146 as patent ineligible under sections 2 and 27(8) of the Canadian Patent Act. Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (“IPIC”), an IP policy advocacy organization, intervened in the appeal proceedings, affirming that the appeal raised a fundamental question of Canadian Patent Law.

Trademarked Stork Upheld in Canadian Copyright Case

A recent trademark infringement case between Stork Market Inc v. 1736735 Ontario Inc. (Hello Pink Lawn Cards Inc), 2017 FC 779 has resulted in a win for the plaintiff and retribution in the amount of $30,000.  The copyright and trademark case deals with competitors in the business of renting and installing lawn signs for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. The trademark infringement case is based on claimed infringement of Stork Market Inc. and its registered trademarks of two images of a stork holding a baby above its head and under a banner that states the sex of the baby

Supreme Court of Canada rules on Promise Doctrine in favor of Pharma Patent Owners

The Supreme Court of Canada issued a ruling in AstraZeneca Canada Inc. v. Apotex Inc., which gives patent owners a far greater ability to protect their intellectual property in the face of Canada’s Promise Doctrine, a part of Canadian patent law that requires an invention to be “useful” in order to be patent-eligible subject matter. The ruling is being heralded by patent owners, especially those in the pharmaceutical space, and it provides an interesting juxtaposition in contrast to recent United States policy, which has been tipping the scales in the favor of generic drugmakers over branded pharmaceuticals.

Supreme Court of Canada Rules on the Enforceability of Forum Selection Clauses in Online Contracts

The Supreme Court of Canada has just released a decision (Douez v. Facebook, Inc., 2017 SCC 33) that provides a framework for assessing the enforceability of forum selection clauses. The decision continues the trend of affording protection to consumers in the face of considerations of uneven bargaining power in un-negotiated online contracts referred to as “contracts of adhesion”… A few years ago, Facebook released an advertising product that used the name and picture of Facebook users, allegedly without their consent. BC’s Privacy Act offers a cause of action for breach of privacy rights. The Plaintiff in this case sought to adjudicate the alleged infringement of her privacy rights in BC courts (as part of a class action comprising Facebook users).

Canada’s Copyright Modernization Act Comes Into Effect

After receiving Royal Assent on June 29, 2012, the provisions of Bill C-11 came into force on November 7, 2012. Titled the Copyright Modernization Act, it has garnered the nickname “Canada’s SOPA” by some media outlets (1), referring to the highly contentious Stop Online Piracy Act bill introduced in the US House of Representatives that led to both physical and digital(2) protests. Yet despite such bold claims, the Canadian amendment to the copyright act is a largely innocuous piece of legislation that falls in line with its stated objectives.

Northern Exposure: Pfizer Canada’s Viagra® Patent Invalidated

The Supreme Court of Canada rendered a decision on November 8, 2012 effectively canceling Viagra® Canadian patent a year and a half before its natural expiration date. This ends Pfizer’s exclusivity on the blockbuster erectile disfunction drug and opens the market up to generics. While certainly a press- worthy event, this decision does not change the Canadian patent landscape – but rather reinforces it.