Articles 2021

The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) has recently sought a declaration of invalidity and non-infringement of certain patents covering genes implicated in Long QT syndrome, an inherited cardiac disorder. This case is drawing considerable interest from stakeholders, as Canadian courts have yet to directly consider the issue of whether isolated human genes are patentable under Canadian patent law.

On April 1, 2014, Ontario’s Wireless Services Agreement Act (WSAA) came into force. The WSAA applies to consumer wireless agreements (Agreements) entered into or renewed after April 1, 2014, where, at the time when the transaction took place, the supplier of the wireless services or the consumer was located in Ontario. The WSAA is intended to supplement the protections under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 (CPA) and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) code.

The decision in Canada (Attorney General) v. Amazon.com, Inc., 2011 FCA 328 (Amazon FCA) will have a significant impact on Canadian companies in the software, information technology, and financial industries. Gregory G. Forrest reviews the impact of the decision and its ripple effects.

A look at the inherent risks if Bitcoin. Heralded as "the currency of the future", in November, 2013 a unit of bitcoin briefly became more valuable than an ounce of gold, soaring to $1,242 from less than $15 in January, 2013. Unlike gold and traditional currencies, bitcoins have no intrinsic value and are not backed by a national central bank. Bitcoins derive their value solely from market demand.

The PCI SSC recently announced version 3.0 of the PCI DSS. Version 3.0 becomes effective on January 1, 2014, with certain requirements that are not effective until July 1, 2015. Version 2.0 will remain active until December 31, 2014 to ensure adequate time for organizations to make the transition.