snIP/ITs Insights on Canadian Technology and Intellectual Property Law

Monthly Archives: November 2011

Federal Court of Appeal Sends Amazon One-Click Patent Application Back to Commissioner of Patents

By Keith Chung on Posted in Intellectual Property, Patents

The Federal Court of Appeal has released its decision in Canada (AG) v. Amazon.com, Inc. (Court Docket No. A-435-10), a case which is being closely watched because of its potential implications for the patentability of business methods.  The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part, directing that the Commissioner of Patents resume the examination of Amazon.com’s patent application in accordance with the Court’s reasons…. → Read More

Striking the Balance between Privacy Interests and Commercial Use – SCC Denies Leave in Alberta Licence Plate Case

By James Gannon on Posted in Privacy

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada denied leave to appeal in the case Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v. Leon’s Furniture Limited. At issue was whether Leon’s store policy, of recording the driver’s licence numbers and vehicle licence plate numbers of individuals picking up furniture, contravened Alberta’s private sector privacy statute.  Leon’s had instituted the policy in order to deter,… → Read More

Surprising Results from an e-Discovery Survey

By Dera Nevin on Posted in E-Discovery

A recent survey on information retention and e-discovery practices, undertaken by a large IT service provider, yielded some surprising results. The purpose of the survey was to better understand how companies are responding to litigation and regulatory requests for information despite an increasing amount of data from a growing number of sources. The survey also… → Read More

Supreme Court of Canada to Hear Employee Laptop Privacy Case

By Roland Hung on Posted in Privacy

Do employees have a reasonable expectation in employer-issued computers used for work purposes?  The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to weigh in on this issue – having recently granted leave to appeal the decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in R. v. Cole. Why is this Case Important? The Ontario Court of Appeal decision is notable from a privacy… → Read More

Canadian Federal Government Revives Amendments to PIPEDA – Part I: What Canadian Businesses Need to Know About the Proposed Breach Notification Provisions

By James Gannon on Posted in Privacy

If the recently tabled Bill C-12 is enacted, organizations governed by Canada’s private sector privacy legislation will be required to notify the federal Privacy Commissioner of any material privacy breaches involving personal information. The Bill, Safeguarding Canadians’ Personal Information Act, is a copy of the previous Parliament’s breach notification bill, Bill C-29, which died on… → Read More