International Law

Ontario Judge Orders Google, Bell to Release Blog IP Information

Posted on November 20, 2010
Ontario Superior Court Justice Nancy Mossip has ordered Google and Bell Sympatico to produce IP and other information to enable the identification of individuals associated with an allegedly defamatory political blog published from Meaford, Ontario.Owen Sound Sun Times reports:A court order Friday has moved Meaford another step closer to finding whoever was behind a blog the municipality's lawyer claims defamed the mayor and staff and disrupted the recent election...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 19, 2010

Posted on November 19, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter:If law firms eliminate brick and mortar libraries, do they still need flesh and blood librarians? http://is.gd/hoFuBSCOC solves case of missing Xmas decorations - Vancouver Sun (blog) http://is...

This Week In The Ontario Court of Appeal: 10-11-19

Posted on November 19, 2010
Each week at Wise Law Blog, we review recent decisions from the Ontario Court of Appeal.R. v. Curnew. An appeal on a set of convictions for Mr. Curnew which included possession of handguns and ammunition, assaults on the complainant and possession of cocaine for purpose of trafficking...

Did Gawker Violate Sarah Palin's Copyright?

Posted on November 19, 2010
Noted gossip/news website Gawker posted photographic excerpts from Sarah Palin's new book, America By Heart, on Wednesday. On Thursday, Palin complained on Twitter. Gawker's response was to snarkily refer to fair use rights regarding copyrighted works and suggest that one of her lawyers would "walk [her] through it...

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140Law - Legal Headlines for November 18, 2010

Posted on November 18, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Report: China Telecom 'hijacked' U.S. web traffic - may have compromised supposedly secure, encrypted sessions -http://goo.gl/teuliFour in 10 say marriage is becoming obsolete - Pew Research Center http://goo...

Kentucky To Regulate Lawyers' Social Media Use?

Posted on November 18, 2010
According to ABA Journal, the Kentucky Bar Association has proposed user fees and regulation of lawyers' social media activity:The bar has proposed a regulation that would bar solicitations through social media unless lawyers pay a $75 filing fee and permit regulation by the bar?s Advertising Commission, the Louisville Courier-Journalreports...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 17, 2010

Posted on November 17, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Charest involved in another legal battle http://is.gd/hgeV3U.S. Supreme Court Grants Cert in Child Support Contempt Case http://is.gd/hhgmI6th Annual Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers http://is...

Jobs for Lawyers, Annual Salary: $0.00

Posted on November 16, 2010
Via Law.com, this posting for an uncompensated position as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Missouri:SPECIAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY [USAO Western District of Missouri]Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri is seeking applications from attorneys who are willing to accept temporary positions that, while unpaid, offer attorneys a valuable opportunity to gain exposure to the office while also obtaining litigation and potentially trial experience...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 16, 2010

Posted on November 16, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Spousal Sponsorship "Marriage of Convenience" issues continued? http://is.gd/hcfPHKrugman on Obama: Can he fight? 'So far the answer has been no.' http://is.gd/hcfJSMacs in Law Offices: A Rising Trend? http://is...

Facebook, Background Checks and Job Applications

Posted on November 15, 2010
Here is yet another sign of our digital times - the Facebook password request ancillary to a job application.Recruits in more than a third of 728 police agencies surveyed are now required to provide access to their social media accounts to enable background checks in the employment application process, according to a study conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 15, 2010

Posted on November 15, 2010
Here is what you missed over the weekend in leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter: Legal process 'rigorous' for mentally ill - Ottawa Citizen http://is.gd/h6ViISome choosing tattoos over medical alert bracelets http://is.gd/h6cdcPutting Money on Lawsuits, Investors Share in the Payouts http://is...

Skype, Webcams and "Virtual Visitation" in Ontario Separation and Divorce

Posted on November 15, 2010
PostMedia's Misty Harris has a comprehensive article today on "virtual" access and family law visitation in the Skype Age. I was happy to contribute a few thoughts to her piece, A digital leap in parental rights: 'virtual visitations' becoming the norm in divorce settlements...

Ontario Employment Law: Appeal of an Employment Standards Officer's Decision

Posted on November 14, 2010
Under the Ontario Employment Standards Act, an employer or employee may apply to the Ontario Labour Relations Board for a review of an Employment Standards Officer?s decision made pursuant to that Act in respect of three types of decisions:An Order (for example, an order to pay wages)The refusal to make an OrderA Notice of ContraventionThe Ontario Labour Relations Board is the body responsible for processing and determining these review applications...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 12, 2010

Posted on November 12, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Social Media, Business, and the NLRB: Employee Rights Online http://is.gd/gXBFHUniversity of Windsor fires back at failed law dean candidate - National Post (registration) http://is.gd/gXBvOForeclosure mess prompts growing number of public officials to slow down process http://is...

This Week In The Ontario Court of Appeal: 10-11-12

Posted on November 12, 2010
Each week at Wise Law Blog, we review decisions from the Ontario Court of Appeal.R. v. Ranger. A criminal appeal where the appellant defendants argued that the K.G.B. statements of two witnesses crucial to their conviction were too unreliable and should not have been considered by the trier of fact...

Ontario Employment Law: Temporary Layoffs - Common Law and the Employment Standards Act

Posted on November 11, 2010
One important area where the Ontario Employment Standards (ESA) and the common law appear to be wholly at odds relates to the consequences of temporary employee layoffs.The ESA provides that under certain circumstances, an employer may temporarily lay off an employee, and even though no work is provided and no compensation is paid, the employment is not considered terminated, so long as the employer squarely complies with the Act...

3D Printing: The Next Great Copyright Headache

Posted on November 11, 2010
The next great challenge in intellectual property law is already here in its infancy, and it is 3D printing.For the uninitiated, 3D printing is very much what it sounds like: devices which "print" three-dimensional objects by laying down layer after layer of material until the object is completely constructed...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 11, 2010

Posted on November 11, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Lamebook and Facebook battle over name rights - Washington Post (blog) http://is.gd/gVrpiDebt collector used phony courtroom, cops to ?intimidate consumers? http://is.gd/gVrnhKenney vows marriage fraud crackdown http://is...

U.S. Mortgage Foreclosure Dismissals: Soaring?

Posted on November 10, 2010
Washington Post reports a mind-boggling statistic:[Long Island Judge Jeffrey] Spinner and some of colleagues in the New York City area estimate they are dismissing 20 to 50 percent of foreclosure cases on the basis of sloppy or fraudulent paperwork filed by lenders...

Unrepresented Litigants, Family Law and Ontario Paralegals

Posted on November 10, 2010
The fight of Ontario paralegals for authorization to provide legal representation in certain family law proceedings is heating up again, as noted in an editorial report today from the Toronto Star's Carol Goar:Clients stranded as paralegals shut out of family lawAlmost two-thirds of Ontarians who appear in family court are now unrepresented...

Straight U.K. Couple To Appeal For Entitlement to "Gay" Civil Partnership

Posted on November 10, 2010
Claiming discrimination, a heterosexual London couple will challenge a UK law that limits "civil partnerships" to same-sex couples. MSNBC reports:The 26-year-old Londoners think they should be allowed to have a civil partnership, a form of legal union available in Britain only to same-sex couples...

Slaw's Search Engine for Canadian Law Blogs

Posted on November 10, 2010
Simon Fodden of Slaw, a self-confessed early adopter, has developed a custom Google search engine for Canadian law blogs. He has generously made it available for embedding on other sites.The Slaw Canadian Legal Blog Search will be an invaluable legal research tool, and it is now available for your use on Wise Law Blog...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 10, 2010

Posted on November 10, 2010
If you have a moment, check out today's front cover of the Toronto Sun featuring a very interesting article about "hoarders." Our Paralegal student, Vis Fremanis, has been working with these clients for over a year now in an attempt to help them.Now for today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter...

Can You Facebook If You Want To?

Posted on November 10, 2010
The old story about the person who made the mistake of friending her boss on Facebook and then complaining about him on it is widely known at this point, but a couple of recent events point to a trend where social media messaging may be given more leeway rather than less...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 9, 2010

Posted on November 09, 2010
Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Lawyer Sues for Humiliation and Lost Business Due to Misspelled Yellowbook Ad http://is.gd/gRfVd2nd Circuit: Starbucks not liable in ?double-cup? hot-tea suit http://is.gd/gRfBeSupreme Court, with Kagan participating, turns down early health care challenge http://is...

I'll Copyright My Voice In Bollywood

Posted on November 09, 2010
Amitabh Bachchan, a Bollywood star, is attempting to use intellectual property law to protect the use of his voice:Expressing his angst over the alleged use of his voice for tobacco promotion, [Bachchan] posted on his blog, ?Not only is this unethical and wrong, it paints me in bad light as well...

The Last Windows... Ever?

Posted on November 08, 2010
James Gardner, Chief Technology Officer at the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK, on a recent organization-wide upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7:....Personally, I think it likely this is the last version of Windows anyone ever widely deploys, though...

140Law - Legal Headlines for November 8, 2010

Posted on November 08, 2010
I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend!Here are today's leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter.Bush: I was worried Cheney wouldn?t be my friend if I didn?t pardon Scooter Libby http://is.gd/gPRfUCheck out our new Facebook Page | Wise Law Office, Toronto -http://goo...

Playing Poker with Your Ex: Who Gets the Antique Seth Thomas Clock?

Posted on November 07, 2010
It would give Canadians a lot more faith in the legal system, if judges were able to apply a new legal concept, the ?this?ll teach the son-of-a-gun a lesson? rule. And you can bet that every week, there is at least one judge who yearns to be able to ground his decision using The Starkman Principle...

A Few Twitter Analytics Tools

Posted on November 07, 2010
I've happened on a few useful, online tools recently that will probably provide a good weekend fix to all those social media analytics and statwistics junkies out there.Cumulatively, these sites will help you to understand the social aspects of what actually happens to your various tweets and postings once they are published online:Who is reposting and talking about your tweets and articles?What are your posts' reach and influence?What topics are hot and not?Which individuals and sites are driving readers toward your postings?How do you rank, overall?In no particular order, here they are:Topsy Social Media Search - Provides real-time search for the social web...

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