The year in review: developments in computer, internet and e-commerce law (2016-2017)

I gave my annual presentation today to the Toronto computer Lawyers’ Group on “The year in review in Computer, Internet and E-Commerce Law”. It covered the period from June 2016 to June 2017. The developments included cases from Canada, the U.S. the U.K., and other EU and Commonwealth countries.

The developments were organized into the broad topics of: Online Liability/Intermediary Remedies, Copyright, Trade-marks/Domain Names, Technology Contracting, e-Commerce & Online Agreements, and Canada’s (despised) anti-spam/malware law, CASL

The cases referred to are listed below. My slides can be viewed after the case listing. These and many other cases will be added to my 7 volume book on Computer, Internet and E-Commerce Law (1988-2016).

Online Liability/Intermediary Remedies

• Equustek Solutions Inc v Google Inc,  [2015] SCCA No 355
• T. v. Globe24h.com, 2017 FC 114
• Cartier International AG & Ors v British Sky Broadcasting Ltd [2016] EWCA Civ 658 (06 July 2016)
• The Football Association Premier League Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc & Ors [2017] EWHC 480 (Ch) (13 March 2017)
• PJS v. News Group Newspapers [2016] UKSC 26
• APC v. Orange SA (Paris C.A.), Decision of March 16, 2016
• Universal Music Australia Pty Limited v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 435 (28 April 2017)
• Hermes v. Doe, (SDNY April 30, 2012)
• Chanel Inc. v. Does (D. Nev., Nov. 14, 2011)
• ABS-CBN Corporation v Ashby, Case (Dist. Or. Aug. 8, 2014)
• Richemont International SA v Chen, Case (SDNY Jan. 4, 2013)
• ABS-CBN Corporation v Cinesilip.net 2017 WL 1628900 (S.D.Fla. May 1, 2017)
• Hassell v. Bird, 247 Cal. App. 4th 1336
• Arista Records LLC v. Tkach, 122 F.Supp.3d 32 (SDNY) 2015)
• CG v Facebook Ireland Ltd & Anor [2016] NICA 54 (21 December 2016)
• AY, Facebook (Ireland) Ltd & Ors [2016] NIQB 76 (9 September 2016)
• Muwema v Facebook Ireland Ltd [2016] IEHC 519
• Voltage Pictures, LLC v Joe Doe #1 2017 FCA 97

Copyright

• Nintendo of America Inc. v. King, 2017 FC 246
• Bell Canada v ITVBOX.NET2016 FC 612
• Wesley dba MTLFREETV.com v Bell Canada et al 2017 FCA 55
• Filmspeler, ECLI:EU:C:2017:300, 26 April, 2017
• Trader v CarGurus, 2017 ONSC1841
• 2251723 Ontario Inc. v Bell Canada, 2016 ONSC 7273
• GS Media, C‑160/15, EU:C:2016:644
• Mackie v Maxi Construction Ltd [2017]Scot 11 (7 Mar. 2017)
• Geophysical Service Incorporated v EnCana Corporation, 2017 ABCA 125

Trade-marks/Domain Names

•  Vancouver Community College v. Vancouver Career College (Burnaby) Inc., 2017 BCCA 41
• Argos Limited v Argos Systems Inc. [2017] EWHC 231 (ch)

Technology Contracting

• Business Development Bank of Canada v Experian Canada Inc, 2017 ONSC 1851
• SAP UK Ltd v Diageo Great Britain Ltd [2017] EWHC 189 (TCC) (16 February 2017)
• Barry Sookman SAP wins major lawsuit based on indirect use and named user license terms: SAP v Diageo
• Atos v Sapient, 2016 ONSC 6852
• C&S Associates UK Ltd v Enterprise Insurance Company Plc [2015] EWHC 3757
• Tremblay-Lavigne et al. v. Five Star Innovactions Inc, 2016 BCPC 453
• Bombardier Transportation Canada Inc. v Metrolinx, 2017 ONSC 2372
• Artifex Software Inc v Hancom, Inc 16-cv-06982-JSC (N.D.ca. Apr.25, 2017)
• Composite Technologies Inc. v. Shawcor Ltd., 2017 ABCA 160
• Peter Vogel Instruments Pty Ltd v Au Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 172 (9 December 2016)
• The Software Incubator Ltd v Computer Associates UK Ltd [2016] EWHC 1587 (QB) (01 July 2016)
• Bennett v Lenovo, 2017 ONSC 1082

e-Commerce & Online Agreements

•  Selden v Airbnb, Inc 2016 WL 6476934 (D.Co. Nov. 1, 2016)
• 1395804 Ontario Ltd. (Blacklock’s Reporter) v. Canada (Attorney General), 2016 FC 1255
• Barry Sookman Browsewraps, fair dealing and Blacklock’s Reporter v Canada: a critical commentary
• com, Inc v Mccants 210 So.3d 761 (CA.Fla.2017)
• Hite v Lush Internet Inc. 2017 WL 1080906 (D.NJ. Mar 21, 2017)
• Peng v Uber Technologies, Inc 2017 WL 722007 E.D.N.Y. Feb 23, 2017)
• ADP, LLC v. Lynch, Court of Appeals 2017 WL 496089 (3^rd.Cir. Feb. 7, 2017)
• Devries v Experian Information Solutions, Inc 2017 WL 733096 (N.D.Cal. Feb 24, 2017)
• Salameno v Gogo Inc 2016 WL 4005783 (E.D.N.Y. Jul. 25, 2016), motion for reconsideration denied 2016 WL 4939345 (Sept, 13, 2016)
• Meyer v Kalanick 200 F.Supp.3d. 408 (S.D.N.Y.2016)
• Nicosia v. Amazon. com, Inc., 834 F. 3d 220 (2nd.Cir.2016)
• Norcia v Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC 845 F.3d 1279 (9^th.Cir.2017)
• McMillan v Chaker 2017 WL 1336941 (S.D.Cal. Feb. 17, 2017)
• Bazemore v Jefferson Capital Systems, LLC 827 F.3d 1325 (11^th.Cir.2016)
• Drozdowski v Citibank, Inc 2016 WL 4544543 (W.D.Tenn. Aug 31, 2016)
• Parm v Bluestem Brands 2017 WL 1193993 (D.Minn. Mar. 30, 2017)
• Tompkins v. 23andMe, Inc. 840 F.3d 1016 (9^th.Cir.2016)
• Ingalls v Spotify USA, Inc 2016 WL 6679561 (N.D.Cal. Nov. 14, 2016)
• Quilichini v Wilson’s Greenhouse, 2017 SKQB 10
• Beau Briones v. Fitness International, LLC No. SACV 16-44-JLS (KESx) (C.D.Cal. Aug. 5, 2016)
• James v. Global TelLink Corp 2017 WL 1160893 (3^rd.Cir. Mar. 29, 2017)
• Du v Jameson Bank, 2017 ONSC 2422
• Harleysville Insurance Company v Holding Funeral Home, Inc Case No. 1:15cv00057 (W.D. Vir. Feb. 9, 2017)
• Narusis v Bullion management Group Inc. 2016 ONSC 4731
• MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. v Glencore International AG [2017] EWCA Civ 365 (24 May 2017)

CASL

• Plentyoffish, Mar. 2015,. CRTC
• Porter June, 2015, CRTC
• Rogers Media 2015, CRTC
• Kellogg 2016, CRTC
• Notice of Violation: Compu-Finder 2015
• Blackstone Learning Corp. Compliance and Enforcement Decision CRTC 2016-428, Oct. 26, 2016
• William Rapanos, Compliance and Enforcement Decision CRTC 2017-65, March 9, 2017
• Bejim v Law Society of BC 2015 BCSC 169

My “Year in review” presentations to the Toronto Computer Lawyers Group for prior years are also available at my site. My slides from the 2015-2016 year in review talk can be found here. My slides from earlier today can be accessed below.