Copyright Lawyer Insights from the ALAI 2025 Copyright Year in Review

Copyright lawyers and copyright lovers: I once again presented the “Copyright Year in Review” to ALAI Canada. 

This year had some particularly interesting caselaw developments including cases on copyright subsistence and ownership, infringement, defenses and remedies. As in prior years, there were also a few questionable holdings by courts around the country.

My 2024-2025 Copyright Year in Review presentation is available below. It has yellow colored highlights on the portions of the cases I focused on during my talk to AlAI Canada copyright lawyer members. There were also some reddish colored highlights in portions of cases where I noted some questionable or debatable statements or findings by court.

The extracts from the cases featured in my 2024-2025 Copyright Year in Review presentation include the following:

1. Nexus v. Krougly, 2025 ONSC 1346
2. Demirören TV Radyo Yayincilik Yapimcilik A.Ş. v. General Entertainment and Music Inc., 2024 FC 1127
3. Morinaga & Co., Ltd v. Nguyen, 2024 FC 1710
4. Indigo Books & Music Inc. v. John Doe 1 (Indigo Kills Kids), 2024 FC 1465
5. Toronto Regional Real Estate Board v. IMS Incorporated (RE Stats), 2024 FC 1537
6. Cavan Speciality Advertising Ltd. v. Les Promotions Universelles Inc., 2025 FC 205
7. 2572495 Ontario Inc. v. Terlin Construction Ltd., 2024 FC 1366
8. Rai v Meta Platforms, Inc., 2024 BCSC 1408
9. Louis Vuitton Malletier S.A. v. Torf, 2024 FC 1152
10. ITP SA v. CNOOC Petroleum North America ULC, 2025 FC 684
11. Lakehead District School Board v. Mauro et al., 2024 ONSC 5174
12. Maier Estate v. Bulger, 2024 FC 1267
13. Williams v. Music and Entertainment Rights Licensing Independent Network Ltd., 2024 FC 861
14. Ullah v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2024 CanLII 137206
15. Marsh, Christopher and Blockchain Markets Inc. v. Electronica AI Inc., 2024 ONSC 5869
16. Zoe International Distributing Inc. v. Smoke Arsenal Inc., 2024 FC 2087
17. 1395804 Ontario Ltd. (Blacklock’s Reporter) v. Canada (Attorney General), 2024 FC 829
18. Wiseau Studio, LLC v. Harper, 2024 FCA 157
19. Rogers Media Inc. v. John Doe 1, 2024 FC 1082
20. Bell Media Inc. v. John Doe 1 (Soap2day), 2025 FC 133
21. Peninsula Employment Services Ltd. v. Castillo, 2024 ONSC 5442
22. Seismotech IP Holdings Inc. v. Ecobee Technologies ULC, 2024 FCA 205
23. Bell Media Inc. v. Macciacchera (Smoothstreams.tv), 2025 FC 461
24. Bell Media Inc. v. Marshall Macciacchera, 2024 FC 1292
25. Zanin v. Ooma, Inc., 2025 FC 51
26. Irving Shipbuilding Inc. v. Beazley Syndicates AFB 2623, 2025 NSSC 52
27. SOCAN Tariff 22.D.3, 2024 CB 6

My presentation was given in English. ALAI Canada had a prior presentation in French to copyright lawyers in Montreal on March 26, 2025. The speakers at that “A Year of Canadian Copyright” were Madeleine Lamothe-Samsom and Caroline Jonnaert.

A copy of my presentation is set out below. It is also available at this link. For copyright lovers, copyright lawyers, and enthusiasts, my 2023-2024 Copyright Year in review presentation can be accessed here.