John Simpson

(647) 361-7533 jsimpson@shiftlaw.ca

Dunder Mifflin paper chase offers a lesson in trademark protection

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A lawsuit involving the rights to the name Dunder Mifflin – a fictional paper company featured in NBC’s The Office – is a reminder of the importance of monitoring trademarks, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. According to a media report, multinational media and entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal is suing a company it […]

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Mariah Carey copyright case reveals need to deter abusive lawsuits

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A recent copyright infringement claim targeting Mariah Carey’s iconic song All I Want for Christmas is You demonstrates the need for stronger deterrents for questionable lawsuits, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. Singer and songwriter Andy Stone filed a US$20-million lawsuit claiming he co-wrote a song with the same name five

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Laws relating to photographs of people can be surprising

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Just because someone took your photograph doesn’t mean you have the right to use the image as you wish, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. Simpson, principal of IP and new media law boutique Shift Law Professional Corporation, used the case of American model and actress Emily Ratajkowski – who

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Coexistence agreements bring peace in trademark disputes

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • A carefully crafted coexistence agreement can help prevent costly trademark infringement litigation while protecting the brand, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. Simpson, principal of IP and new media law boutique Shift Law Professional Corporation, says coexisting agreements are quite common, citing U.S. retailing giant Target Corporation and

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Important to keep an eye to the future in co-branding deals

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Co-branding deals can help businesses expand their market but caution is required when entering into such agreements. It is especially important to consider what happens when the partnership ends, says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. Simpson, principal of IP and new media law boutique Shift Law Professional Corporation, points to a recent

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It was another interesting year for intellectual property law

/ 2021 Year in Review, Intellectual Property /

Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson, principal of IP and new media law boutique Shift Law Professional Corporation, shared his views on some of the more interesting copyright and trademark cases of 2021. In January, Simpson explained that a Federal Court of Canada decision favouring one of his clients illustrated the importance of moving quickly

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Non-fungible tokens the next trademark challenge on the horizon

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • As digital products become more popular, consumer brand owners are increasingly looking to secure trademark rights in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. Simpson, principal of IP and new media law boutique Shift Law Professional Corporation, points to a recent report stating Nike is seeking to register trademarks for a

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Adidas loses battle of the stripes in trademark infringement lawsuit

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters • Adidas’ recent Dutch Supreme Court loss after a 25-year trademark infringement fight with international clothing company H&M illustrates how owning a famous logo can be a “double-edge sword,” says Toronto intellectual property lawyer John Simpson. The Dutch court refused to hear the multinational sportswear company’s appeal of an earlier decision that

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Willy Wonka ad shows effectiveness of social media IP policing policies

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Willy Wonka attack ad against Justin Trudeau on Twitter is a good example of how intellectual property rights enforcement procedures on social media platforms can give rights owners much quicker results than courts, says Toronto IP lawyer John Simpson. Early in the recent federal election, Twitter pulled the Conservative Party

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SCC refuses to say whether copyright guidelines are fair dealing 

/ Intellectual Property /

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) handed York University a big win last month, holding that it is not bound to pay royalties to Access Copyright under a collective licensing regime. But in its unanimous decision, the Court declined to even consider York’s request for a declaration that all copying

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