By Krystalynn Singh | October 6, 2025 For entrepreneurs, signing a commercial lease is often an exciting milestone. It means growth, stability, and a new home for their business. But behind the excitement, commercial property agreements are full of hidden clauses that can cause headaches—or even financial ruin—if overlooked. Many small business owners assume that […]
“Invention harvesting is the first step in obtaining patent protection” – Nicholas Aitken Tapping the full creative potential of its innovators, or invention harvesting, is the golden nugget for companies seeking to build strong patent portfolios. “If intellectual property [IP] is a valuable asset for a company—which it is these days for many—invention harvesting is a […]
By Julius Melnitzer | October 2, 2025 In my view, it’s technological capacity, not IP protection, that’s at the heart of the development divide – Francis Gurry Understanding and overcoming the “development divide” between developed and developing nations requires insight into the synergies between technology development and intellectual property (IP) protection. Arguably, a nation lacking […]
“If I could talk to the animals…” — Doctor Dolittle By Marcel Strigberger | October 1, 2025 Animal law? Have we come a long way from Noah? This cat came back. I speak of Nub Tang, a Bangkok tabby. She strayed, was rescued and taken to a police station. Ms. Tang, however, got a bit feisty with […]
By Krystalynn Singh | September 30, 2025 For many Ontarians, investing in rental property seems like a straightforward way to generate income. But ask anyone who has appeared before the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), and they’ll tell you the same thing: managing rental property is far more complex than it appears. While property ownership […]
By Julius Melnitzer | September 29, 2025 “Oftentimes, smaller businesses would like to take on bigger companies, and litigation funding has become a very active topic for them.” – Jean-Sebastien Dupont While the litigation funding phenomenon may not yet have had the same impact in the intellectual property (IP) sector as it has in other practice […]
By Julius Melnitzer | September 24.2025 An Ontario arbitrator has confirmed the validity of the long-term disability exception to the mandatory retirement rule. When Ontario eliminated mandatory retirement in 2006, the legislation provided an exception for insured employment benefit plans to maintain a cutoff based on age. “This was intended to avoid destabilizing existing insurance plans […]
“We have been surprised to find that some American patent owners have, over the last eight or nine years, chosen to initiate litigation in Canada first.” – Bob Sotiriadis By Julius Melnitzer | September 19, 2025 Due to the countries’ proximity and their shared common law roots and court systems, cross-border litigation involving parallel cases […]
“AI is creeping into everything we do, and doing so daily.” – Tamara Céline Winegust Whether artificial intelligence (AI) will create more or less work for copyright lawyers is a question that demands a multi-layered response. “The answer depends on the kind of AI you’re talking about, bearing in mind that it’s a huge topic, embracing […]
By Murray Gottheil | September 10, 2025 In prior parts of this series, I wrote about the advantages and disadvantages of becoming an equity partner in a law firm. In order to complete the picture, I really should address the fantasy of a non-equity partner (“NEP”) as well. Some years ago, law firms decided that they […]