Articles 2020

This article outlines the background, and the key concepts decided by Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) in the investigation by the Office of Privacy Commissioner of Canada into Facebook's practices. The FCA concluded that Facebook failed to obtain meaningful consent from friends of users to disclose their data and breached its safeguarding obligations by failing to adequately monitor and enforce the privacy practices of third-party applications operating on the platform.

The Federal Court of Appeal in Google LLC v. Sonos Inc., 2024 FCA 44 dismissed Google’s appeal challenging the decision of the Federal Court that Sonos did not infringe Google’s patent (Canadian Patent No. 2,545,150), upholding the Federal Court’s decision (2022 FC 1116). The Google patent relates to a system for adaptive echo and noise control in electronic equipment – for example, smart speakers.

A summary of the Supreme Court of Canada's recent decision on the appeal in R. v. Bykovets from the Court of Appeal of Alberta, on a 5-4 split judgment with the majority stating that Section 8 of the Charter protects the Internet Protocol from unreasonable search.

In the recent decision of Amer Sports Canada Inc. v. Adidas Canada Limited, the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted Arc’teryx an interlocutory injunction, temporarily preventing Adidas from using the word “TERREX” in association with its retail stores until a decision is made at trial.

A closer look at deepfake technologies in the legal landscape of Canada and the blurred lines between reality and fiction.

Smart devices have transformed how we engage with technology in our daily lives, for various purposes such as home security, organization, communication, and entertainment. Despite overwhelming use, IoT devices are not inherently secure – and the lack of security can, in part, be exacerbated due to a user’s tech hygiene. This article explores best practices for promoting a cybersecure landscape in Canada.

On December 20, 2023, the Federal Court published the Amended Consolidated General Practice Guidelines. This article provides a summary of key amendments and some friendly reminders from previous practice directions, including guidance on filing electronic records, virtual commissioning, and mode of hearing.