Law Times

Page 16 May 28, 2018 • Law TiMes www.lawtimesnews.com u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story "The trial involves a personal data breach allegedly committed by an internet-enabled coffee percolator and so it will have a jury of its peers." VALUE IN A NAME? WILMINGTON, N.C. — Next month, Toys 'R' Us is putting its famous mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, on the auction block. Also up for sale: sex-toys-r-us.com, according to Reuters. The adult-oriented domain name is one of hundreds of website addresses for which the bankrupt toystore chain is looking to find a buyer as it winds down its business and shutters 735 U.S. stores, according to court records. Also up for sale: ihatetoysrus.com, toysrussucks.com, kinkytoysrus.com and adult-toys-r-us.com. The company is selling its intellectual prop- erty, which includes its name, Geoffrey the Gi- raffe logo and the Babies 'R' Us brand, to raise money to repay its creditors. Brand specialists say it could be one of the most valuable brands ever sold by a company going out of business. A spokeswoman for Toys 'R' Us did not immedi- ately respond to a request for comment. Companies like Toys 'R' Us often register re- lated domain names to guard against someone hijacking their brand for their own business, says Bob Phibbs, a brand specialist and chief executive of the Retail Doctor consulting firm. "They just went crazy," says Phibbs. "I'm sure they were laughing and drinking Red Bull and then just came up with every iteration they could." Phibbs says the long list of domain names owned by the company reveals the allure of the Toys 'R' Us brand. The company registered doz- ens of domain names: lodges-r-us.com, bistros- r-us.com, recipes-r-us.com, burgers-r-us.com and even cigars-r-us.com. ALL THE COOL STUFF HAPPENS IN AMSTERDAM AMSTERDAM — Activists in Amsterdam launched the Datavakbond or data labour union, which hopes to elect leaders to negotiate directly with Facebook and Google over what they do with users' data, reports Reuters. Possible demands could include payment for the data users supply to the companies, more information about how the data is used and a direct channel for communicating grievances. "What we want . . . is to get across the table from Google and Facebook to talk about reason- able compensation — or at least better working conditions," says Paul Tang, a member of Euro- pean Parliament from the Dutch Labour party, at the union's establishment in Amsterdam. Tang says that although governments have a role in regulating the internet giants, users should also organize themselves and seek to in- f luence the companies directly. The union's founding chairman, Bas van der Gaag, a high school math teacher, says that al- though it is based in the Netherlands, the union hopes to win members internationally. Membership is free, and those that join will be encouraged to help craft the organization. Later, they may vote on specific demands — for instance, for the company to provide a paid but advertising-free version of Facebook. Within the first hour of its launch, 250 people had joined. GET ME A WATER PISTOL PERTH, Australia — Annoyed at seagulls that pester its patrons, a restaurant in the Australian city of Perth has armed customers with water pis- tols to stop the birds from ruining the waterfront dining experience, reports Reuters. Toby Evans, the owner of 3Sheets restaurant in the capital of Western Australia, says the seagull problem was unusually bad and something had to be done to keep customers from being scared away. "It was bad, it was bad. I think it's the time of year," he told Nine Network television on May 16. "Now, they are getting cheekier and cheekier." The seagulls congregate near the waterfront restaurants at a marina, Hillary's Boat Harbour, scavenging leftovers or hoping for scraps from diners. Evans decided to equip each table with a water pistol and customers say the strategy works. "We didn't have to throw anything at them or run for cover," said one customer. LT GUIDE FOR LAWYERS WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AVAILABLE A new guide for lawyers working with Indigenous Peoples has been formally launched, after being developed by The Advocates' Society, the Indigenous Bar Association and the Law Soci- ety of Ontario. The guide was a response to the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, according to a law society media release, particu- larly a section that specifically ad- dressed the legal community. A special event at Osgoode Hall on May 22 marked the launch of the guide. Scott Robertson, president of the Indigenous Bar Association and an associate at Nahwegahbow Corbiere Genoodmagejig/ Barristers & Solicitors, says the guide "is intended to provide as- sistance to those lawyers, law clerks, students and judges," who work with and for Indigenous Peoples. "The justice system has not always been kind to Indigenous Peoples. There is a dark history of assimilation and colonial policies which have been implemented and enforced by our legal system," he said in a written statement. "In order to effect change and truly reconcile these past wrongs, we must create space for Indigenous Peoples." The 116-page guide can be accessed through the advocates.ca website. BOOK LAUNCH ON WOMEN IN CRIMINAL LAW Members of the public are in- vited to attend the launch of a book featuring different female lawyers and judges involved in the Canadian criminal justice system. The book launch for Wom- en in Criminal Justice: True Cases By and About Canadian Women and the Law, which is edited by lawyers William Trudell and Lorene Shyba, will happen June 9 at the Fifth Pubhouse, Great Canadian Bar, at 221 Richmond Street West in Toronto. The event will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Former Supreme Court of Canada chief justice Bever- ley McLachlin is scheduled to attend. McLachlin contributed the foreword to the book. JUDGE SOUGHT FOR SIMCOE The Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee is seek- ing applications for the role of judge in the Ontario Court of Justice in Norfolk County (Sim- coe). The judge who is appointed will spend approximately 80 per cent of their time on criminal law matters and 20 per cent of their time on family law mat- ters. All candidates must apply by June 8. More information is available at ontariocourts.ca. YES, I AGREE 60 % 40 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE LAW TIMES POLL The federal government's Bill C-69, the Impact Assessment Act, proposes to reform the fed- eral environmental assessment regime and place more emphasis on early engagement with af- fected communities. Readers were asked if they and their clients supported its aims. About 60 per cent said yes, they supported the bill and thought it represented a fresh start for the federal environmen- tal assessment process. About 40 per cent said no, they were concerned that early engagement will lengthen the process and make things worse for clients. LT How the legal community in Ontario gets its news @lawtimes Canlawyer.lawtimes@thomsonreuters.com | 416.609.3800 | 1.800.387.5164 Online www.lawtimesnews.com/subscribe Free preview bitly.com/LT-FreePreview-17 SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND RECEIVE: • 40 issues a year covering Ontario's legal landscape • FREE digital edition and unlimited online access to past issues • FREE Canadian Legal Newswire, a weekly e-newsletter from the editors of Law Times and Canadian Lawyer Subscribe to Law Times today! Untitled-2 1 2018-05-22 11:39 AM Scott Robertson says the Canadian jus- tice system 'has not always been kind to Indigenous Peoples.'

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