On May 23, 2019, a federal jury unanimously found that the Houston Independent School District willfully infringed 36 of DynaStudy’s copyrighted study guides, and awarded $9.2 million dollars. (DynaStudy, Inc. v. Houston Independent School District, Case No. 4:16-cv-01442 (S.D. Tex. May 23, 2019) (verdict, document #316). As this case illustrates, “educational” use is a very narrow exception to the copyright laws. New technologies make copying easier than ever, but the jury verdict demonstrates the damages can be unlimited.
Copyright
Shifting Paradigms – A new report for the future of copyright in Canada
Over the past year the House Heritage Committee has been preparing its Shifting Paradigms report which was released in May 2019. The report considers and discusses some of the current challenges and possible solutions pertaining to the ecosystem in which artists work. It also speaks to reinvigorating copyright in Canada. This report is of interest to a broad scope of people including members of the art scene such as musicians and publishers to those in digital media and tech industries.
What lessons can be drawn from the approval of the Directive on Copyright in the digital single market ?
On Monday 15 April 2019, the Council of the EU formally approved the Directive on Copyright in the digital single market which was adopted by the European Parliament on Tuesday 26 March 2019.
According to the European Commission, the objective…
Are you kicking goals when it comes to social media activity, or heading to the sin bin?
They say that a picture tells a thousand words. But as became apparent in Australia recently, posting a picture on social media can result in a thousand (derogatory and sexist) words.
A photograph posted on Twitter by Seven AFL (taken…
Copyright vs Freedom of the Internet: Round 1 just passed the European Parliament

At the end of last month, the European Union Parliament adopted a controversial new “Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market” (Directive).
One of the stated aims of the Directive is to give copyright holders such as…
No safe harbour: Online platforms face choppy waters when it comes to copyright infringement

The liability of internet intermediaries for copyright infringement is a hot topic of conversation at the moment, both in Australia and overseas. Sweeping reforms have just been passed by the EU Parliament, and Australian copyright legislation in this area has…
When can you sue for copyright infringement in the US?
On March 4, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court settled a split between federal appeals courts regarding when a copyright owner may sue for copyright infringement.…
Canada: Further trademark amendments are here — Bill C-86 is given Royal Assent
Canada’s core IP statutes have been amended by Bill C-86, which received Royal Assent as the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, SC 2018, c 27 on December 14, 2018. The final version of the legislation includes amendments to the Trade-marks Act that are substantially identical to the version that received first reading on October 29, 2018.
Recent developments for IPR protection in China
On November 5th 2018, at the inauguration ceremony of the first-ever China International Import Expo held in Shanghai, President Xi Jinping reassured investors, especially foreign enterprises, on the administration’s determination to protect their intellectual property rights in China.
In the…
Bill C-86 — significant changes to Canada’s IP regime
The federal government’s recent omnibus budget bill, Bill C-86 tabled October 29th, 2018, proposes significant changes to Canada’s IP laws. Division 7 of the Bill is intended to implement many aspects of the government’s IP strategy announced in April…


