The Canadian courts have confirmed in a series of recent cases that third-party funding is permitted in Canada. Previously, in Canada's common law jurisdictions (ie, all provinces aside from Quebec), opportunities for third-party funding were constrained by the longstanding common law principles of maintenance and champerty. However, the law has evolved to permit third-party funding, subject to certain restrictions.
Canada has undertaken several consultation processes and updates to the drone regulatory system in the last decade in recognition of the growth in both the commercial and recreational use of this technology. In addition to proposed new regulations addressing the safe operation of drones, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner recently addressed the privacy concerns that have been raised by their increased use.
Canada has recently introduced measures to regulate some aspects of virtual currencies. Under amendments to Canada's anti-money laundering and terrorist financing legislation, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, dealers in virtual currencies will have to register under the act. However, to date there has been limited experience in Canada with respect to fraud or money laundering involving virtual currencies.
When developing a BYOD policy, employers should first work to understand when, where and how employees will be using their devices for business purposes, and then tailor their policies to the needs of the business and employees, striking the right balance between employer and employee interests. Two key intersections between BYOD and employment law are overtime pay exposure and employee misconduct.