Amit Patel ← Innovation Law Blog

Usage-based billing controversy continues

Mar

2011

The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology met again last week to discuss and review concerns surrounding usage-based billing. The decision granted by the CRTC has been met with strong opposition from Industry Minister Tony Clement, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper also taking the unusual step of intervening in the ever-mounting debate of Internet ...

Canada’s Anti-spam Bill C-28

Amit Patel

Jan

2011

On May 11, 2004, the Government launched Canada’s Task Force on Spam, which unanimously recommended anti-spam legislation in its report a year later. Since then, two private member’s bills have been introduced – and ultimately failed – to instate anti-spam legislation in Canada. On December 15, 2010, Bill C-28, the anti-spam bill which represents a ...

Courts find Facebook privacy to be fragile

Amit Patel

Nov

2010

Privacy settings on the popular social networking site, Facebook, have been the topic of much attention in recent months. However, the Courts have recently allowed postings to social network sites to be forced into evidence in legal proceedings. These topics have been especially relevant because it seems like everybody is on Facebook or a similar ...

Microsoft sues Motorola over Android Phones

Amit Patel

Oct

2010

Microsoft is suing Motorola saying that Motorola phones that use Google Inc.’s Android software infringe some of Microsoft’s smart-phone patents. Email synchronization, calendar and contacts are some of the functions in question. Motorola had licensed some of the technology from 2003 to 2007 and had failed to renew the licenses despite continuing to use the technology.

Pink Floyd Wins Case And Prevents EMI From Selling Songs Individually

Amit Patel

Mar

2010

In a court battle with EMI, the progressive-rock band Pink Floyd fought to prevent the record company from selling single downloads on the Internet from the group’s concept albums. The court, this past Thursday, decided in favour of the British band. At challenge was EMI’s decision to sell certain Pink Floyd songs as individual downloads, removing ...

Microsoft Appeals Word Patent Decision and Loses

Amit Patel

Mar

2010

In August 2009, a US court awarded damages to i4i which claimed Microsoft had infringed its patents. The patents cover the use of XML, a mark-up language that preserves data formats across different programs. Microsoft appealed against the court judgement that required it to pay $240m in damages. The judgement also required Microsoft to remove the ...

RealNetworks Raises White-Flag, Surrenders RealDVD Software.

Amit Patel

Mar

2010

In the fall of 2008, RealNetworks released software called RealDVD which allowed users to save a copy of a DVD movie they own. RealNetworks has faced lawsuits under claims that the software allowed anyone to save a movie they do not legally own. RealNetworks has decided to resolve the legal challenges brought against it by ...

Conan O’Brien Takes His Parting Shots, But Not His Comedy Bits

Amit Patel

Feb

2010

In the recent decision by Conan O’Brien to leave NBC, the network has claimed ownership of his comedy bits and characters over his 17 year career with them. Conan and NBC have formed a $40 million deal for Conan to leave “The Tonight Show” so Jay Leno may return to it; Conan is not prepared ...

Men at Work alleged to have plagiarized Girl Guide folk tune

Amit Patel

Feb

2010

Although it is a song that is guaranteed to get Australian-expats singing along in pubs across the world and has been for some time, Men at Work’s hit from the eighties has recently faced accusation that it might not be completely unique. The Federal Court of Australia has just announced its ruling in the case ...

Who Dat Say Dey Own “Who Dat”

Amit Patel

Feb

2010

The cheer of this year’s Superbowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, is a phrase that has been chanted for some years – “Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints? Who Dat? Who Dat?” It is only now the NFL has attempted to assert rights to the phrase through the Florida Department of State. It has ...