The Toronto Star and Financial Post have reported on the latest news in beer branding wars. Brick Brewing has launched a new beer in time for the Labour Day weekend: RED BARON LIME. According to the article, Labatt and Anheuser-Busch are seeking an injunction in the Federal Court of Canada against Brick, as well as damages or an accounting of profits, on the basis of trade-mark and copyright violation. The packaging for RED BARON LIME beer displays images of limes and uses the colour green on its labels and packaging. The packaging for BUD LIGHT LIME also displays images of . . . [more]

I’ve been following the posts and comments about anonymous blogging and free speech rights with interest. It’s hard not to weigh in with a few additional comments (and here, as an academic at heart, I’ll mention a comment I wrote nearly 15 years ago for the University of New Brunswick Law Journal’s Forum on free speech as a previous example of “weighing in”). I don’t know where the parameters of free speech should be, I just know that we need to recognize that vital though it is, other values (equality, in particular, as well as people’s entitlement not to be . . . [more]

Since my clients and colleagues have been remarkably gracious about my attempts to vacation this week, I will keep this brief and return to my rest BEvERage novel kids. Here’s some of what has been going on in my absence:

• Some fairly significant deal activity, especially for the end of August. Biovail picked up product rights from Swiss company Santhera, and Cardiome decided to use $27.5 million to buy back shares instead of to perform R&D.
• Some further good vibes for biotech investing, with more industry journalists picking up the meme, and rumours of new IPOs.

WHEN? August 27, 2009

WHERE? Toronto, Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The proceedings were also webcast from the Copyright Consultation website. For video and upcoming transcripts of the Toronto Town Hall, see the website at: http://copyright.econsultation.ca.

WHO? Hosted by the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. Dianne LeBreton acted as Facilitator. More than 650 Canadians participated in real time (in person and online). Pre-registration to attend the Town Hall was required. Participants who spoke included three representatives from Warner Music Canada (including President Steve Kane), and a representative from each of Sony Music Canada, Universal Music Canada, SOCAN, Writers Union . . . [more]

James Gannon, a newly-minted Toronto lawyer, has a newly-minted blog, IP, Innovation and Culture. Gannon, who has a background in system design engineering, has been blogging on his own site since late July. . . . [more]

It seems sensible to say a few words now about Angela Swan’s concern, expressed in a recent post, about “anonymous blogging” on Slaw.

Let me start by giving you some information, most of which is not news. Only members may post entries on Slaw; members are, of course, known, identified, and much valued, I might add. Commenting on posts is a bit more vexed. We do not moderate comments on Slaw in the sense that we do not preview them before their publication; we do, however, promptly delete those that we find to be objectionable in one way or . . . [more]

Last month I wrote about Fired Without Cause, an online legal service for consumers created by Vancouver startup Paradigm Shift Solutions Inc., formed by Chilwin Cheng, LLB and Jim Hamlin, a software development expert. Since I’m curious to know how innovative companies get started in the Canadian legal industry, I arranged for a telephone interview with Chilwin Cheng through his PR company Fleishman-Hillard.

Connie: I want to start at the beginning. Where did you do your law degree? . . . [more]

The suit by Rosemary Port, the blogger on Skanks in NYC (originally here) outed by Google, may have its parallels in Canada soon.

Brian Bowman of Pitblado LLP in Winnipeg is seeking to reveal the identity of the blogger behind Zeromeanszero.blogspot.com, a political site dedicated largely to the municipal politics in Ottawa, and its mayor, Larry O’Brien. (Bowman posted here on Slaw earlier this year on a different subject).

Michael Geist weighed in on the case, saying,

Canadian law does permit the disclosure under the appropriate circumstance, they just have to convince the court that this qualifies.

Sept. 4 is the deadline for submissions to the United States District Court – Southern District of New York regarding “Google Book Search,” as the proposed settlement has come to be known.

In a court order of April 28 (via Wired), the judge agreed that it was prudent to allow additional time for stakeholders to assess the agreement. Pamela Samuelson was the lead author requesting the extension, and has written a wonderfully lucid account, not only of the shortcomings of the agreement, but also succinctly identifying the motivations of the parties in fashioning it.

Her short article appears in . . . [more]

For all we’ve heard about the ills of the Canadian healthcare system during the debate about reform in the U.S., it’s worth noting that we still have some of the best outcomes in the entire world.

The CBC has an article today that shows a map of global life expectancies, and a link to a site by an American professor that allows a comparison of mortality risks.

We should be proud of what we’ve accomplished here. . . . [more]

I’m an iPhone user. Hell, I’m a Mac fanboy. But I’ve been slow to come to those apps on the iPhone that don’t claim to increase my productivity somehow. Professional deformation, I guess. But I’m finally plumping for an iPhone app that would be a real stretch to use in connection with law: Brushes. This $5 app lets you paint on your iPhone. I know, I know: finger painting, like Trix, is for kids. Uh uh. Nope. Not a bit of it.

Don’t believe me? Just take a look at some fantastic finished products, all done on a canvas . . . [more]

Slaw readers crossing the US border should read closely the folloing statement issued this morning by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

CBP Border Search of Electronic Devices Containing Information

(PDF, 10 pages – 4.87 MB)
ICE Border Searches of Electronic Media (PDF, 10 pages – 453 KB)
Privacy Impact Assessment: Border Searches of Electronic Information
(PDF, 51 pages – 6 MB)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced new directives to enhance and clarify oversight for searches of computers . . . [more]