[{"description":"A perpetual question from clients is whether a new development should be protected by filing a patent application or kept as a trade secret? Patents are granted by national patent offices for new, useful and not obvious inventions. Patents require a full and public description of the idea and the details needed by a skilled person to put that idea into practice. For example, Section 27(3)(c) of the Patent Act requires that for machines, the patent “explain the principle of the machine and the best mode in which the inventor has contemplated the application of that principle”. This quid pro . . . [more] The post Trade Secrets as an Alternative to Patent Protection appeared first on Slaw","titre":"Trade Secrets as an Alternative to Patent Protection","id":3178670,"pubDate":"Sat, 26 Sep 2026 08:01:53 +0200","source":"Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/09/25/trade-secrets-as-an-alternative-to-patent-protection/"},{"source":"Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/07/28/patent-publication-dates/","titre":"Patent Publication Dates","id":3060093,"pubDate":"Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:59:26 +0200","description":"Once a patent is granted, it can be asserted in litigation against an alleged infringer. One of the remedies that can be obtained is “reasonable compensation” for pre-grant infringement pursuant to section 55(2) of the Patent Act . While relief is often sought and granted for pre-grant infringement, the remedy has some subtleties, including those arising from changing practices at the Canadian Patent Office. Section 55(2) of the Patent Act states the following: 55(2) A person is liable to pay reasonable compensation to a patentee and to all persons claiming under the patentee for any damage sustained by the patentee . . . [more] The post Patent Publication Dates appeared first on Slaw"},{"url":"https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2026/edpb-annual-report-2025-supporting-stakeholders-through-guidance-and-dialogue_en","source":"EDPB News","pubDate":"Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:14:02 +0200","id":2816021,"titre":"EDPB annual report 2025: supporting stakeholders through guidance and dialogue","description":"Brussels, 09 April - The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has published its  2025 Annual Report . The report provides an overview of the EDPB work carried out in 2025 and reflects on important milestones, such as the adoption of the  Helsinki Statement on Enhanced Clarity, Support, and Engagement . “In 2025, we saw the data protection landscape change significantly. The rapid expansion of the EU’s digital regulatory framework has added complexity to the data protection ecosystem. To help organisations navigate this complexity and support compliance, the EDPB focused on enhancing legal certainty, making compliance more achievable in practice, and strengthening cooperation, both among Data Protection Authorities and with other regulators.  We also prioritised meaningful dialogue with stakeholders to ensure our work reflected real-world needs. Our achievements support economic growth while continuing to protect individuals’ fundamental rights to privacy and data protection.” EDPB Chair, Anu Talus   The Helsinki’s statement initiatives leading the way In 2025, the EDPB worked actively to address the demand for regulatory simplification to support innovation and economic growth, while ensuring the protection of individuals’ personal data.  With this in mind, the Board adopted the  Helsinki Statement on Enhanced Clarity, Support, and Engagement , which outlines new initiatives to  make GDPR compliance easier, strengthen consistency, enhance the dialogue and improve transparency with stakeholders and boost cross-regulatory cooperation .   For example, the Board launched a public consultation to ask organisations which templates would be most useful, organised several stakeholder events to consult organisations on upcoming guidelines and systematically published reports on stakeholder input.    Easing compliance for organisations and providing legal advice In the context of ongoing discussions on regulatory simplification at EU level, the EDPB actively contributed to legislative initiatives aimed at reducing administrative burden and streamlining requirements. The Board adopted a  joint opinion with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) on the Commission’s Proposal for a Regulation amending certain regulations, including the GDPR.  In addition, the Board held important discussions on this matter during plenary meetings, which subsequently informed the  EPDB/EDPS joint opinions on the Commission’s proposals on the  Digital Omnibus and on the  Digital Omnibus on AI adopted at the beginning of 2026. The Board also delivered five adequacy-related opinions concerning United Kingdom, Brazil and the European Patent Organisation (EPO).  In addition, the Board adopted  Recommendations on the legal basis for requiring the creation of user accounts on e-commerce websites , and  Recommendations on the 2027 WADA World Anti-Doping Code  upon request from the Commission.   Strengthening cross-regulatory cooperation Cross-regulatory cooperation was a key focus for the EDPB last year. The EDPB worked together with the European Commission to clarify how data protection and digital laws interact and to address legal and practical challenges in cross-sectoral cases. In 2025, the EDPB adopted its first set of  joint guidelines with the Commission on the interplay between the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the GDPR . The Board also worked with the Commission on joint guidelines on the interplay between the AI act and EU data protection laws for adoption in 2026.  In addition, the EDPB adopted  guidelines on the interplay between the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the GDPR .   Placing stakeholders at the heart of the EDPB work In 2025, a public consultation was launched on the  joint guidelines with the Commission on the DMA and the GDPR . The Board has also organised public consultations on the EDPB guidelines on  DSA and GDPR"}]