Thought Leadership

2016

• As the Curtin Draws on TK: WIPO-IGC Session 31 Kicks the Can Further Down the Road

  Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2016

  Author: Prof. Chidi Oguamanam

  

  By Prof. Chidi Oguamanam – Between September 19 and 23, 2016, the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) commenced the first of a two-part negotiation over a potential instrument for the effective protection of traditional knowledge (TK), pursuant to its mandate for the 2016-2017 biennium. In the summer, the IGC concluded negotiations on Genetic Resources (GRs) with an advanced draft text on the subject in accordance with the committee’s strategic decision to split its negotiations into three streams: TK, GRs and Traditional Cultural Expression (TCEs) with a view to generating three draft treaty instruments. The tripartite nature of the IGC negotiating documents are without prejudice to their likely future consolidation into a single treaty instrument should the WIPO General Assembly ultimately so decide.

• A Savvy Cell Phone User's Guide to Pokémon Go

  Posted on Monday, October 3, 2016

  Author: Sean Grassie

  

  Don’t be stymied by confusing wireless service contracts. Know your rights as a Canadian telecom consumer before you head out to catch ‘em all.

• CIPPIC and Citizen Lab publish the "Gone Opaque?" report on IMSI Catchers

  Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2016

  

  CIPPIC, the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic, and Citizen Lab are releasing a report, "Gone Opaque? An Analysis of Hypothetical IMSI Catcher Overuse in Canada", which examines the use of devices that are commonly referred to as ‘cell site simulators’, ‘IMSI Catchers’, ‘Digital Analyzers’, or ‘Mobile Device Identifiers’, and under brand names such as ‘Stingray’, DRTBOX, and ‘Hailstorm’. IMSI Catchers are a class of of surveillance devices used by Canadian state agencies. They enable state agencies to intercept communications from movie devices and are principally used to identify otherwise anonymous individuals associated with a mobile device and track them.

• Expanding the Debate: A Licensing Scheme for Traditional Knowledge

  Posted on Monday, August 22, 2016

  Author: Chidi Oguamanam and Chris Koziol

  Traditional knowledge (TK) often helps researchers to locate, understand, and usefully apply genetic resources extracted from plants and animals. In some cases, TK provides the basis for cartographic insights and data on a wide range of otherwise inaccessible information. However, one of the sources of disquiet about TK is the perception that it is sometimes taken without permission, or when permission is given, TK may be used in a manner inconsistent with the expectations or wishes of the community. Even when researchers are working with Indigenous communities in good faith, there remains the risk of a misunderstanding or unintended misuse of the knowledge that can damage trust, build suspicion, and even cause economic, environmental, or other harm to the community.

• Mobile applications and the changing face of legal services

  Posted on Friday, July 15, 2016

  A new legal application, Legalswipe developed by University of Ottawa Faculty of Law graduate Christien Levien, is changing the face of the administration of justice.

• New Book: Courts, Litigants, and the Digital Age 2nd Edition, by Karen Eltis

  

  A new publication by Professor Karen Eltis, "Courts, Litigants, and the Digital Age 2nd Edition." 

• Drawn out battle over genetic resources dampens Africa’s hopes

  Posted on Monday, April 25, 2016

  Author: Chidi Oguamanam

  The global South is full of significant, diverse biological and genetic resources. It’s also home to most of the world’s indigenous communities. This is why developing countries are sensitive about protecting their genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

• Bruce Schneier "Security in the Worl-Sized Web" - Video

  

  Available now for viewing!

  This talk looks back at what we've learned from past attempts to secure these systems, and forward at what technologies, laws, regulations, economic incentives, and social norms we need to secure them in the future.

  

• Reflections on Bruce Schneier's talk, titled “Security and Privacy in the World-Sized Web”,

  Posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2016

  Author: Salahuddin Rafiquddin

  On Feburary 17, the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law and the Centre for Law, Technology and Society welcomed Bruce Schneier to give the 9th annual Deirdre G. Martin Memorial Lecture on Privacy.

• Redefining Intellectual Property Progress

  Prof. Janewa Osei-Tutu, J.D., LL.M

  International intellectual property (IP) debates have been framed as protection versus access, and profits over people. Without useful metrics, it is difficult to evaluate IP policy on a global scale.  In redefining intellectual property “progress,” Prof. Osei-Tutu suggests that human development – be it the UN Human Development Index or a similar methodology – be used as a metric for intellectual property policy in African countries.

  Centre for Law, Technology and Society and Open AIR Inaugural Speaker Event