{"id":1606,"slug":"treb-case-vow-publication-not-fully-public-mandate","title":"TREB case dealt with VOW (password-protected) publication — did NOT mandate fully public, non-password-protected publication","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","candid-team"],"topics":["mls-data-licensing","competition-law-canada"],"reference_body":"**Claim.** What the case LEFT unsettled: it \"largely dealt with allowing publication of the data through virtual office websites (VOWs), which are password-protected\" — it did NOT mandate fully public, non-password-protected publication. The push to publish *outside* VOWs was anticipated but not decided by this case.\n\n**Quote.**\n> \"Largely dealt with allowing publication of the data through virtual office websites (VOWs), which are password-protected.\"\n\n**Source.** Global News + practitioner analysis, accessed 2026-06-21.\n\n**Confidence.** Verified for the case scope; single-source / DS for the \"next fight\" prediction.\n\n**Caveats.** Consumer portals like HouseSigma operate behind email signup (functionally VOW-like) — they have not provoked a successor case on the fully-public question.\n\n**Implication / use.** Critical guard against over-reading the 2018 outcome. \"MLS data became public\" overstates — \"MLS sold data is now allowed on password-protected VOWs\" is the precise statement.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"research-brief-mls-data-inside-the-box-ontario-june-2026","title":"Research notes (capture-layer): inside the MLS box — what an Ontario member agent's account exposes, what goes unused, and what they're licensed to do with it (June 2026)","kind":"research-notes","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"competition-bureau-v-treb-2011-2018-saga-timeline","title":"Commissioner of Competition v. Toronto Real Estate Board (2011-2018) — full 7-year timeline; SCC denied TREB's final leave Aug 23 2018","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-mls-data-inside-the-box-ontario-june-2026","title":"Research notes (capture-layer): inside the MLS box — what an Ontario member agent's account exposes, what goes unused, and what they're licensed to do with it (June 2026)","kind":"research-notes","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"caveats-mls-data-inside-the-box-untested-clauses-and-self-reported-metrics","title":"Caveats: MLS-data inside-the-box brief (June 2026) — untested clauses, self-reported metrics, contested copyright status","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-21T10:51:32.797Z","updated_at":"2026-06-21T10:51:32.797Z"}