Summary

June 2, 2021
A metal worker using an angle grinder to cut steel.

$7 Million Award Upheld for Employee Theft of Confidential Information

2020 BCCA 361: A BC court upheld one of Canada's largest awards for trade secret theft. GEA was awarded over $7 million against a group of former employees.
May 4, 2021
Programming code overlaid on a photograph of a server room.

Ontario Court Varies Terms of Injunction to Preserve “Status Quo”

2021 ONSC 2881: In a copyright dispute over source code, an Ontario court has agreed to extend an existing injunction to cover a new software product released by LDX Inc.
April 22, 2021
Image of the Android logo beside a smartphone against a black background.

US Supreme Court Sides With Google to End Oracle’s Monopoly Over Java

No. 18-956: In ruling that Google's copying of Java code amounted to fair use, the court adapted traditional copyright laws to software, which is primarily functional in nature.
March 26, 2021
Photograph of an oil and gas pump.

Federal Court Applies Its Own Claim Construction to Infringement Case

2021 FC 85: The Federal Court upheld the validity of all claims, but found that PetroChina was not infringing Maoz Betser-Zilevitch's patent for an SAGD.
March 3, 2021
Model of a human brain photographed in an anatomy lab.

A Closer Look: CAFC Finds Immersion Photography Claims Are Obvious

Fed Cir, 2019-1927: The CAFC overturned a finding of non-obviousness by the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board on a patent owned by Melanoscan, LLC.
February 16, 2021
Close-up photograph of server with multiple ethernet cords plugged in

Patent Appeal Board Rules Choueifaty Patent Application to Be Patentable

PAB 1556: Canada’s Patent Appeal Board reconsidered Mr. Choueifaty’s patent application for a computer-implemented method of managing portfolio assets.
February 1, 2021
Business person sitting a board room table in front of sunny window

Federal Court of Appeal Restricts Admissibility of Foreign Prosecution History

2021 FCA 7: The FCA narrowly interpreted section 53.1 of the Patent Act, refusing to look at a corresponding US application that was not named by number.
January 19, 2021

Quebec Court Finds New Drug Pricing Rules Tip Constitutional Scale

2020 QCCS 4541: Court held that forthcoming amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations are unconstitutional and infringe on provincial powers.
December 18, 2020
Photograph of a man holding a passport with leather luggage on the ground at his feet.

Less Baggage: Trademark Registration Later Expunged Will Not Be Liable for Prior Damages

2020 FCA 210: Court held that parties are not entitled to damages or an accounting of profits following the expungement of an infringing trademark.
December 2, 2020
Close-up photograph of a fountain pen writing words in ink on paper.

Written Description Particularly Important if Amending Claims in Response to Competitor

Fed. Cir. 2018-1779: A patent for testing fetal DNA was found to be unpatentable because the claims were not fully supported by the written description.
November 16, 2020
An orange backhoe on a construction site with mountains in the background.

Federal Court Finds Patent Obvious in Summary Judgment

2020 FC 997: In a summary judgement for patent impeachment, Canada's Federal Court found a patent for heating hydraulic booms to be invalid for obviousness.
November 9, 2020
Electricity powering a lightbulb on a black background.

Official Marks Not Immune to Infringement Claims

SCC 39144 : Supreme Court of Canada confirms an appellate ruling which found that, while official marks cannot eliminate rights under prior registrations.
October 27, 2020
Photograph of a money jar spilling coins against white background.

FCA Upholds Largest Patent Infringement Award in Canadian History

2020 FCA 141: Court warns judges not to be "spooked" by the enormous sums that may be calculated in an accounting of profits for patent infringement.
October 5, 2020
Orange transport truck driving on a highway under a blue sky.

Federal Court Cannot Designate Standard-Essential Patents

T-1686-18: Canada's Federal Court has clarified that it does not have jurisdiction to designate Standard-Essential Patents.
September 23, 2020
Lines of programming code on a computer screen.

Federal Court Rejects CIPO’s “Problem-Solution” Approach to Claim Construction

2020 FC 837: A recent decision spells the end to the problem-solution approach, which has long been used to block patent applications for software.
September 10, 2020
Photo of a pair of shoes dangling off the edge of a building while lights shine on a bridge in the distance at night.

Identical Preambles: Limiting in One Patent, Not Another

Fed. Cir. 2019-1622: The CAFC found the same preamble created different limitations for different patents, limiting one patent but not the other.
August 20, 2020
Close-up photograph of a wooden judge's gavel.

Federal Court Can Now Interpret Contracts in Patent Ownership Disputes

Salt v Baker - In a unanimous decision, the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed the Federal Court’s jurisdiction to hear contractual disputes involving patents.
July 7, 2020
Basketball player holding an orange basketball with a Nike swoosh logo in one hand

Hands Off! Nike Wins Battle Over Claw Logo Against Kawhi Leonard

An Oregon court ruled that Nike owns the Claw logo that includes a sketch of Leonard's hands that famously earned him the nickname “The Claw.”
June 4, 2020
Hand in rubber glove holding a spray bottle of bleach

Federal Court of Appeal Confirms New Standard of Review in Trademark Appeals

The Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) has clarified how Vavilov's standard of review will apply to decisions made by the Trademarks Opposition Board (“TMOB”).
March 18, 2020
Team of inventors wearing white lab coats in a laboratory.

Federal Court Removes Inventors from Four Patents

2020 FC 338 – The Court concluded that the six individuals were listed as inventors “by inadvertence in the process of the division.”