In celebration of Black History Month throughout February IPIC will be highlighting leaders in the #IP profession through a series of Member Spotlights. The spotlights promote the significant contributions these members have made to the IP profession and industry and bring awareness to challenges and/or obstacles they have faced in their careers. Each spotlight will also include insights and advice to inspire the next generation of IP leaders. The following spotlight features IPIC member Antoinette Bugyei-Twum, Associate & Patent Agent Trainee, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

In celebration of Black History Month throughout February IPIC will be highlighting leaders in the #IP profession through a series of Member Spotlights. The spotlights promote the significant contributions these members have made to the IP profession and industry and bring awareness to challenges and/or obstacles they have faced in their careers. Each spotlight will also include insights and advice to inspire the next generation of IP leaders. The following spotlight features IPIC member Ismaël Coulibaly, Partner/Lawyer & Trademark Agent, BENOÎT & CÔTÉ.

In celebration of Black History Month throughout February IPIC will be highlighting leaders in the #IP profession through a series of Member Spotlights. The spotlights promote the significant contributions these members have made to the IP profession and industry and bring awareness to challenges and/or obstacles they have faced in their careers. Each spotlight will also include insights and advice to inspire the next generation of IP leaders. The following spotlight features IPIC member Jillian Carter, IP Clerk, Perry + Currier Inc. and Certified Canadian Trademark Administrator (CCTA).

The Anti-Counterfeiting Committee is excited to bring to UnscrIPted a series of articles related to the evolving digital landscape, highlighting non-fungible tokens (NFTs), new mobile and web-based applications, branding in the metaverse and artificial intelligence. To read our last article in the series, which provided an introduction to NFTs and the counterfeit implications of the Metaverse, click here.

At the 32nd Session of the Nice Committee of Experts it was confirmed that the 12th Edition of the Nice Classification will come into force this January 1, 2023. This new Edition reflects changes to the Nice Classification Headings, a few transfers with respect to goods, but does not contain any transfers with respect to services. Most notably “dispensers” have been transferred and will now be classified according to material composition.

Most people today, when caught in a commercial dispute that they can’t resolve by themselves, turn to a respected impartial person to settle the matter. In days of old, that “neutral” would have been a wise elder, a religious authority or a feudal lord, who would hear the parties’ contentions in his courtyard.

Intellectual property rights are only meaningful if they can be enforced. But litigation is expensive and complex. Where does this leave rights owners dealing with small-scale acts of infringement? In a new study for the Queen’s Law Journal, we explored whether small claims courts could be an answer to “negative-value suits” in the IP space (i.e. when the cost of litigation is greater than the value of the judgment). Despite the relative novelty of IP small claims, our findings confirm these forums have wide jurisdiction over infringement matters, and are often well-positioned to resolve IP law questions, notwithstanding that such cases are rare. For this year’s Access to Justice week, we highlight one often-overlooked strategy for cost-effective enforcement.

In June of this year, the Canadian Federal Government released the ‘National Indigenous Economic Strategy for Canada 2022’ (NIES). The NIES builds on the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report, as well as the premise that full reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples is impossible without economic reconciliation.  It serves as a blueprint to achieve meaningful engagement and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian economy, with the ultimate aim that Indigenous communities will achieve self-sufficiency and socio-economic equality with the rest of Canada.

As part of IPIC’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) project, Building Back Through Innovation & Increasing Diversity in Canada’s IP Sector, and in celebration of Pride Season which runs from June-September, IPIC has reached out to the UK organization IP Inclusive to find out about their division IP Out. IP Out is the IP Inclusive Community for LGBT+ people and their allies working in the IP professions. They provide support and networking opportunities for LGBT+ people and their allies in the UK. We wanted to find out more about the group and why they think such a group could be beneficial to Canadian IP professionals. Here’s what they had to say:

For a young practitioner, it can be a challenge to build a reputation, get your name out, and become known in your field. Establishing credibility is difficult, since new lawyers generally cannot rely on a long track-record of practical experience or recognized credentials that are available to seasoned veterans. Yet gaining that experience and reputation is a key part of a rewarding and successful career in law. Fortunately, there are clear, easy, and high-value steps a young practitioner can take to get started.

In recent years, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) considerations have become increasingly important for Canadian companies and innovators. From consumer demand for increased sustainability, transparency, and social accountability, to investors’ focus on ESG in investment decision-making processes; ESG criteria are now a significant marker for company success. As such, robust ESG practices are imperative for companies in order to manage operational, regulatory, fiduciary, reputational, and innovative risks.

It is no secret that a gap exists when it comes to protecting certain forms of Indigenous intellectual property (IP). While conventional IP tools are excellent in ensuring contemporary songwriters, inventors and brand owners keep control of what they make, these tools are less helpful when it comes to Indigenous traditional knowledge and cultural expression.