Author: Michael Shortt

About Michael Shortt

Michael Shortt is a lawyer and trademark agent. His practice focuses on both litigation and transactional work, with an emphasis on the videogame and artificial intelligence industries. As a member of the Québec and Ontario bars, he advises clients on both common-law and civil-law matters.

Analysis

“Making Available”– The Supreme Court Rules That There Is Only One Royalty Fee To Be Paid

picture of the the entrance of the Supreme Court of Canada, or Cour Supreme du Canada, in Ottawa. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada, the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. Its decisions are the ultimate expression and application of Canadian law and binding upon all lower courts of Canada

Fasken successfully represented several of the respondents before the Supreme Court of Canada in Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v. Entertainment Software Association, 2022 SCC 30. In its recent decision, the Supreme Court conclusively rejected attempts by SOCAN to “double dip” on copyright royalties via the making available of copyrighted works and in the process helped clarify a number of important legal issues. Some of these issues are unique to copyright law, while others have broader relevance, including issues related to determining the standard of review post-Vavilov and how treaties should be used to interpret statutes.

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Analysis, Canada, Copyrights, Intellectual property, Patent Prosecution, Trademark

Trademark Owners and Franchisors Beware: in Milano Pizza Ltd. v. 6034799 Canada Inc., Lack of Licensor Control Leads to Invalidation of Trademark

Neon sign of a pizza over a city's view

In its recent Milano Pizza Ltd. v. 6034799 Canada Inc. decision, the Federal Court ordered the expungement of a trademark registration because the plaintiff did not exercise sufficient control over the use of the trademark by its licensees. This decision provides a helpful reminder of the dangers of relying on verbal agreements instead of written trademark licenses, and the need for trademark owners to maintain control over their licensees.

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Copyrights, IP Litigation

The Federal Court of Appeal has spoken: actual damage doesn’t need to be proved in order to obtain statutory damages under the Copyright Act

close up of engine

In its February 2022 decision in RallySport Direct LLC, the Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) reiterated and confirmed the principle established in the decision of the Ontario Superior Court in Trader. This Court determined that a copyright owner could claim the statutory damages provided in section 38.1 of the Copyright Act (“Act”), even where there was no monetary damage and no loss of business opportunity.

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