Civil Law

Officials in California say child may have become sick with bird flu from raw milk

County officials in California are urging the public to not consume unpasteurized, raw milk because it may have caused a bird flu infection in a child.

Marin County Public Health is reporting a suspected case of bird flu in a child who experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk. The child has recovered, and no other family members became sick, indicating no person-to- person transmission, according to the health department.

There have been 32 confirmed cases of bird flu … Read the rest

Civil Law

Treasury is consulting on a proposed new competition regime to apply to digital platforms

New competition framework for digital platforms

6 min read


The Federal Government has released a proposal paper for consultation on the framework for a new digital competition regime, which aims to promote competition by addressing anti-competitive conduct, unfair treatment of business users and barriers to entry and expansion that prevent effective competition in digital platform markets.

The regime outlined in the proposal is broadly similar to the framework recommended by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in … Read the rest

Civil Law

Federal Court denies samples for testing infringement of biologic process patent

The Federal Court recently refused to order a defendant to produce samples of cell culture because there was no “reasonable possibility” that testing the samples would yield evidence of patent infringement.  In pharmaceutical patent cases, testing samples of a defendant’s product – or samples from a defendant’s process – can lead to crucial evidence of infringement for trial. However, as seen in the Court’s recent decision, a defendant can resist producing samples where the plaintiff only proposes “speculative undefined tests”.   … Read the rest

Civil Law

Marler Clark files multiple Grimmway Carrot E. coli Lawsuits – more coming

As of November 17, 2024, 39 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from 18 states according to the CDC: Wyoming 1, Washington 8, Virginia 1, Texas 1, South Carolina 2, Pennsylvania 1, Oregon 3, Ohio 1, North Carolina 1, New York 5, New Jersey 2, Missouri 1, Minnesota 5, Michigan 1, Massachusetts 1, Colorado 1, California 3 and Arkansas 1. Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 6, 2024 to October 28, 2024. Of … Read the rest

Civil Law

Publisher’s Platform: What has happened to the “Safest Food Supply in the World?”

“Over the last few months, we have seen a stunning number of outbreaks, and I know because I have been doing this work since the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box E. coli Outbreak,” said William “Bill” Marler. “From Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli and foods as varied as cucumbers, deli meat, chicken, carrots, hamburger, onions, lettuce and eggs, it seems that out food safety net is fraying at best and broken at worst, and we are not even talking about the countless … Read the rest

Civil Law

Michigan Legislature Introduces Reproductive Health Privacy Bill

On November 7, 2024, Michigan lawmakers in the Senate introduced the Reproductive Data Privacy Act (“RDPA”), also known as Senate Bill 1082 (SB 1082).  The bill aims to strengthen privacy protections for sensitive reproductive health data, including information on menstrual cycles, fertility, and contraception. 

The RDPA is largely modeled after Washington’s My Health, My Data Act, but it more narrowly applies to organizations that provide reproductive health-related products or services, such as diagnostic testing, fertility apps, or abortion … Read the rest

Civil Law

While Testing Bluesky, Major Publishers Are Staying on X (Twitter) and What It Means for Bloggers

Despite recent controversies and shifting dynamics, X (formerly Twitter) remains a vital space for engaging with influencers. 

While some major publishers like The Guardian and NPR have announced their withdrawal from the platform, Sara Guaglione of Digiday reports the reality is that many influential voices—and the communities, including bloggers, they cultivate—are still active there. 

Over a dozen major publishers, including The New York Times, Reuters, and Vox Media, continue to maintain a presence on X, per Guaglione. Even as referral … Read the rest

Civil Law

Pharmacare: Committee of Experts established

On November 14, 2024, the Government of Canada announced the establishment of a Committee of Experts as the next step in its implementation of a national pharmacare program.  The Committee is tasked with providing the Government with practical advice on the next phases of pharmacare.

Background

As we reported, on October 10, 2024, Bill C-64, An Act respecting pharmacare (the Pharmacare Act) received Royal Assent and came into force.  The Pharmacare Act sets out the “foundational principles” for … Read the rest