In recent years, the job market has changed considerably, especially further to the pandemic and the impacts it has had. Employers and employees in Quebec faced unprecedented situations, and these appear to have led to a significant increase in claims for recognition of psychological occupational injuries, such as adjustment disorders and depression ...
On June 2, 2021, the Québec government reduced the administrative burden relating to international publicity contests by excluding them from the jurisdiction of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (the ?Régie?). It has now followed suit with all types of publicity contests launched on or after October 27, 20231 ...
Canadian patent government fees will increase up to 36% on January 1, 2024. The main fee increases are presented in the table below. Applicants may therefore wish to take certain actions and pay the accompanying fees in Canada by the end of 2023 to benefit from the lower 2023 rates at least in the following circumstances: Early filing of divisional applications may be especially advantageous as they involve high government fees ...
Workplace Christmas parties are just around the corner. While such celebrations are a great opportunity to strengthen team spirit and acknowledge everyone?s hard work, it is important to remember that it is not only up to employers to make sure they run smoothly?their entire workforces, managers and employees alike, are also responsible. Just think of potential situations of harassment where alcohol and fun times are combined ...
While lawmakers in Canada1 and elsewhere2 are endeavouring to regulate the development and use of technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), it is important to bear in mind that these technologies are also classified within the broader family of information technology (IT). In 2001, Quebec adopted a legal framework aimed at regulating IT. All too often forgotten, this legislation applies directly to the use of certain AI-based technologies ...
On November 2, 2023, in response to certain controversy, the Canada Revenue Agency (?CRA?) sought to clarify the application of the new disclosure rules, in force since June 22, 2023. The CRA?s comments relate, in particular, to the impact of reporting obligations on severance agreements, a topic we initially covered a few weeks ago1. We believe it is appropriate to go over these clarifications ...
Canada?s finance minister unveiled a series of legislative proposals on August 4, 2023 aimed at making significant changes to the flow-through share system, particularly as regards lithium exploration. Although a number of these changes had already been announced in the 2023 federal budget, e.g ...
Introduction In 2023, where do we stand in terms of liability where smart products are concerned? The rules governing product liability set out in the Civil Code of Québec were introduced early in the 20th century in response to the industrial revolution and the growing number of workplace accidents attributable to tool failures ...
On June 22, 2023, the federal government significantly expanded the reporting requirements for certain so-called avoidance transactions, in particular with respect to termination agreements.1 The new rules will make it easier for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to detect certain avoidance schemes, conduct tax audits and issue notices of assessment and penalties more quickly when warranted ...
A patent landscape provides a bird?s-eye view of the patenting activity related to a specific technology. It can be an invaluable tool for your organization as the analysis of patent data reveals business, scientific and technological trends. Indeed, many industries increasingly rely on patent landscapes to provides a basis for understanding innovation activity in their field ...
Although the more nostalgic among us were recently celebrating the announcement of a third film (and sequel) of In a galaxy near you (Dans une galaxie près de chez vous), a sci-fi series on Quebec TV, sports fans might be disappointed if the arena near them ever ends up being renamed. In the first instalment of our series of articles on sports law, we examined various issues surrounding team branding ...
Since it came into force on September 1, 2022, the Select Luxury Items Tax Act1 has caused quite a stir in the aviation industry. Many of those operating in the industry have voiced their discontent, claiming that the tax affects their competitiveness on the international stage. In general, the luxury tax applies to the sale, lease or import of certain aircraft costing more than $100,000 ...
Introduction On June 1, 2023, the Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, tabled and presented Bill 29 entitled An Act to protect consumers from planned obsolescence and to promote the durability, repairability and maintenance of goods 1 (hereinafter the ?Bill?) before the National Assembly ...
Last Wednesday (July 26), the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) handed down its highly awaited decision on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions (software patents). In Canada (Attorney General) v. Benjamin Moore & Co. (2023 CAF 168), the FCA rejected the test proposed by the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) in the first instance decision, Benjamin Moore & Co. c. Canada ...
On July 9, 2023, major amendments to the Canada Labour Code 1 (the ?Code?) came into force, and further amendments are set to come into force shortly. These amendments relate to Part III of the Code, which covers labour standards. They were provided for in the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2 2, which was assented to on December 13, 2018, but are only now coming into force ...
On June 7, 2023, the Minister of Finance of Quebec tabled and presented Bill 30 before the National Assembly, an omnibus bill entitled An Act to amend various provisions mainly with respect to the financial sector (hereinafter the ?Bill?). The Bill includes certain amendments to the provisions of the Insurers Act (?IA?) and the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services (?DA?) ...
Choosing the name of a sports team can be a perilous exercise. In addition to representing certain values, names are supposed to fire up the fan base and motivate the athletes themselves. It must sometimes meet with the approval of major sponsors. But when sports teams are companies seeking to profit commercially from the use of their brand, legal considerations also come into play. Team names are typically linked to the organization of sports events for which tickets are sold ...
On June 23, 2023, major amendments to section 45 of the Competition Act1 (the ?Act?) are set to come into force. Adopted in 2022 by the Parliament of Canada, these amendments are primarily designed to harmonize Canadian non-competition law with legislation in various other countries, particularly the U.S., which restricts certain business practices regarded as harmful to workers ...
Introduction On February 1, 2023, Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette introduced and tabled in the National Assembly Bill 8 entitled An Act to improve justice efficiency and accessibility, in particular by promoting mediation and arbitration and by simplifying civil procedure in the Court of Québec1 (hereinafter the ?Bill?). The Bill makes amendments to several laws, including the Courts of Justice Act2 and the Professional Code ...
On March 21, 2023, Quebec?s Minister of Finance tabled his budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. One of the budget?s key measures is the introduction of a new tax holiday in connection with major investment projects. At first glance, the new measure does not appear to be specifically aimed at the mining industry, but some mining companies involved in the extraction of critical and strategic minerals and planning substantial investments in the near future could greatly benefit from it ...
On March 28, the Minister of Labour introduced Bill 19, an Act respecting the regulation of work by children (the ?Bill?), which establishes in particular a minimum working age of 14 and a maximum number of hours of work for children subject to compulsory school attendance. This Bill is presented in the wake of massive and noticeable entry of young workers into the market in the context of shortage of unskilled workers exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic ...
At a time when some are demanding that artificial intelligence (AI) research and advanced systems development be temporarily suspended and others want to close Pandora?s box, it is appropriate to ask what effect chat technology (ChatGPT, Bard and others) will have on businesses and workplaces. Some companies support its use, others prohibit it, but many have yet to take a stand. We believe that all companies should adopt a clear position and guide their employees in the use of such technology ...
On January 30, 2023, the Court of Appeal of Quebec rendered a decision in Commission scolaire De La Jonquière c. Intact Compagnie d?assurance.1 The key issues in this case are the potential for conflicts arising from liability insurance policies and the obligation to disclose documents where insurers? duty to defend conflicts with their duty to indemnify insureds ...
?Clear skies overhead, patent marking protects well, innovation blooms.? ?Patent marking? is the practice of labelling a product to provide notification that it is protected by one or more patents. From a public perspective, it serves three related purposes: avoiding innocent infringement; encouraging patentees to give notice to the public and aiding the public to identify whether an article is indeed patented. (Nike, Inc. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 138 F.3d 1437, 1998, p. 1443) ...
Lavery celebrates International Women?s Day today Today, Wednesday, March 8, we celebrate International Women?s Day. IWD is an opportunity to honour those who inspire us every day and who continue to demonstrate the progress we?ve made towards gender equality in the workplace, setting an example for future generations. This year, several of the firm?s women professionals shared why they decided to become lawyers ...
