CETA Shows Canada’s Need for an IP Strategy

https://youtu.be/jlb92sEB6X8The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, is a done deal. Attention is now focussed on implementation, both in Canada and Europe. That doesn’t mean it is too soon to learn from the negotiation process. My testimony to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade highlighted...

Evidence-based Intellectual Property Policymaking

By Jeremy de Beer The intellectual property system is a crucial part of economic policymaking worldwide. It affects matters of profound importance, including health, education, nutrition, culture, science, technology and innovation policy. One might assume, therefore, that the global governance of intellectual property rights rests on a solid foundation of...

Innovation Appropriation: A Role for IP in the Informal Sector?

Is there a role for intellectual property rights to play in the informal economy? What formal and informal strategies do informal sector actors use to appropriate benefits from their innovation? I’ve been exploring these questions through my co-leadership of the Open AIR project, and as an expert consultant on...

Parallel Imports Are Not Counterfeits: Trademark and Copyright Laws Should Distinguish

Parallel imports are not pirated goods nor counterfeit products. Rather, they are genuine articles sold in another country with the authority of the intellectual property rights owner. Parallel imports help to prevent geographic price discrimination. They are one way of encouraging pricing parity across borders, and an essential aspect of free trade....

Intellectual Property and Innovation: My Testimony to Parliament

I was recently invited to testify about intellectual property and innovation before the Government of Canada’s Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. Several of my recommendations were integrated into the Committee’s subsequent report to the House of Commons. My comments, which you can read or watch on Canada’s...