Four intellectual property topics to watch in the new year:

Canadian Copyright Changes

The government’s announcement of new copyright legislation has generated considerable debate in Canada in the last few weeks – when copyright reform hits the front page of the Globe and Mail, then you know something is up.  So far all of the media interest, including a Facebook group of several tens of thousands of concerned citizens, seems to have triggered a review of the proposed legislation.  We will be watching to see what the bill looks like.

Filesharing

We are hoping to see some clarity in this area in 2008.  The recording industry seems to be pushing for an opportunity to litigate, and the proposed copyright legislation may address this issue, providing guidance to content-providers, musicians, users and industry alike.

US Patent Reform

The proposed patent reform bill in the US is currently making its way through Capitol Hill and the changes effected by the new law will undoubtedly transform the patent landscape.  We’ll keep an eye on these developments south of the border because of their impact on so many Canadian patent holders and inventors.

Privacy Online

Privacy issues will continue to play a central role in the conduct of online business.  Massive privacy breaches have become almost common-place – announcements of lost data or hacked credit card info now seem to be weekly occurences - and Canadian law in this area is changing as new decisions and investigations try and produce guidelines for business.  Watch for this area to continue to evolve over the next year.

 

Calgary – 10:35 MST