The Supreme Court of Canada's recent and much-anticipated
decision in Google Inc. v. Equustek Solutions
Inc. is extremely important for many reasons. It has
been applauded by Canadian companies whose intellectual property
rights are being infringed by overseas companies, but, it has left
many observers concerned about the ability for local courts to have
a global impact on the regulation of the Internet.
It should not be at all surprising that over 30 entities
intervened in the case – including civil liberties and human
rights groups, music and publishing industry groups, and
associations of reporters. The Supreme Court upheld an injunction
that requires Google to de-list a website from its global search
index, not just google.ca. While the Supreme Court's decision
may be a boon to Canadian companies whose intellectual property is
being infringed by third parties around the world, the decision has
wide-ranging consequences.
