To follow-up on our post last year [IP and Internet Law in 2008 ], here are a few issues to watch in ’09:

US Patent Reform 

Although the US Patent Reform Act of 2007 stalled in the US Senate in 2008, it is expected to be brought back onto the government agenda in 2009 as part of the Obama administration’s plan for innovation.  Look for this to be moved forward once the burning economic issues have been addressed. 

Filesharing 

The recording industry tried multiple tactics in 2008. They pursued file-sharing sites rather than individuals. Their lawsuit against Quebec Torrent resulted in a win-by-default, and it is likely that they will pursue other file-sharing sites in Canada, citing this as a precedent. As expected, the recording industry also made a move against individuals using new anti-piracy legislation.  This trend can be expected to continue in 2009. 

Canadian Copyright Reform

While the government continues to grapple with economic and constitutional issues, it is unlikely that copyright reform will be high on the list.  If we do get a revised copyright reform bill, debate can be expected to drag on until the end of the year. 

Olympic Marks

With the 2010 Olympics coming to Canada in a little over a year, ambush marketing and Olympic advertising will likely generate lots of interesting trade-mark disputes.  As seen in Beijing, the efforts of the Olympic “trade-marks police” will bring this issue to the fore, and will provide an opportunity to test the new Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act.

Calgary – 2:45 MST