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It may be too much, too late for content providers finally trying to tame the internet, and a fresh approach is needed, writes Bruce Berman.
The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter, published from 2004 to January 2011, is a 16-page monthly selection of the most important, updated stories and features, plus the People and News Briefs columns.
The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter is available in an online archive on the IP-Watch website, available for IP-Watch Subscribers.
The turning of a new year offers the opportunity to catch up on a range of recent personnel changes in the international IP policy and legal communities. Read More…
The sudden change in officials in charge of international policy at the United States Patent and Trademark Office could reflect shifting priorities at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Read More…
Robert Stoll, the Commissioner for Patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), has announced his retirement on 31 December 2011. Deputy Commissioner for Patents Margaret “Peggy” Focarino will be nominated to replace him, USPTO said today.
Stoll was nominated as Patent Commissioner by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos in October 2009 (IPW, US Policy, 3 September 2009). The nomination carries a 5-year tenure.
The USPTO retirement announcement is here.
The announcement comes just weeks after the passage of the historic patent reform legislation, and the confirmation of John Bryson as US Secretary of Commerce, following former Commerce Secretary Gary Locke’s appointment as US ambassador to China. Bryson, an electrical utility executive nominated by President Obama, was approved by the Senate on 20 October. The Commerce secretary has ultimate responsibility for the USPTO.
Also confirmed in October was US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization Michael Punke, and the US Chief Agriculture Negotiator, Isi Siddiqui. The US Trade Representative’s office announcement is here.
On Stoll, the USPTO described his long tenure. “In his 29 years with the Patent and Trademark Office Stoll has held several leadership posts including training foreign officials on all aspects of intellectual property (IP), overseeing the Office of Enforcement, and directing federal legislative priorities for the Agency,” the USPTO said. He helped reduce the patent backlog and to pass the patent reform legislation, it said.
Focarino has been with the USPTO for more than 34 years, with experience as a patent examiner, supervisory patent examiner and technology center director. “During her tenure she has overseen training for the entire agency’s patent examining corps, administered international projects pertaining to the Patent Cooperation Treaty, processed re-examination requests and implemented telework programs for technical support staff,” the agency said. She received her B.S. in Physics from the State University of New York, and a Certificate in Advanced Public Management from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
By Rachel Marusak Hermann for Intellectual Property Watch
Resignations, retirements, appointments, and promotions are stirring up the status quo in the intellectual property world, opening the door of possibility for change in strategy and decision-making across industries and sectors. Read More…
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced that Trevor Mundel has been named president of the foundation’s Global Health Program. Mundel is global head of development for Novartis Pharma in Basel, Switzerland and will start at Gates on 1 December. Read More…
The annual summer shuffle of the mission staff in Geneva has been particularly active this year for those with responsibility for intellectual property rights, with several key diplomats packing their bags, and new ones arriving. Read More…
The head of Geneva-based UNITAID, an innovative drug purchasing system for the global poor, will leave the post this month. Read More…
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the appointment of a new deputy commissioner for trademarks, with oversight of examination and processing of applications. Read More…
The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), which claims representation of 3 million creators and publishers, has named a new director general. He comes from a career in broadcasting. Read More…
A lawyer with experience representing copyright holders such as authors and museums today was named the top copyright official in the United States government.
Maria Pallante was named the US Register of Copyrights, making her head of the Copyright Office, which is housed in the Library of Congress (and has been part of it since 1870), separate from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Pallante has been acting in the role since the December retirement of Marybeth Peters, and has been at the office since 2008.
The Copyright Office press release and bio is here.
A range of stakeholders representing rights holders and the public interest issued statements in support of the appointment.
Recent weeks have seen a number of personnel changes at Geneva institutions working on international intellectual property rights and innovation. Read More…
The technology industry – including Google, Microsoft, and Facebook – has a new lobbyist in Geneva. Read More…
The United States Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center has announced the addition of an executive vice president, joining from the brand-name pharmaceutical industry. Read More…
Patrick Ross, a former journalist who for the past three years was the executive director of the Copyright Alliance industry lobbying group in Washington, DC, has joined industry publication Managing IP as a reporter. Ross previously had a career as a Washington journalist, writing for Internet Daily. But traditionally, journalists who jump to the lobbying ranks bid their journalism careers farewell. During his time as head of the copyright industry group, Ross regularly took very strong editorial opinions (in favour of copyright, e.g., see here where he takes on academic Larry Lessig) on the issues he will now be covering. It remains unclear whether the Managing IP publication is considered a journalistic venture or an industry opinion and “how-to” sheet.
Knowledge Ecology International, an influential Washington, DC-based non-governmental group working on public health and knowledge access issues, has added a new staff attorney.
Krista Cox joined KEI this month, and will be involved in the organisation’s substantive work related to access to medicines and access to knowledge, KEI said. Cox fills the position vacated by Judit Rius Sanjuan, who headed to Médecins Sans Frontières in New York earlier this year.
According to her bio, Cox was the staff attorney for Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), working on advocacy for access to essential medicines, researching the Bayh-Dole Act (on intellectual property rights for federal research) and its analogues, gene patent issues, and transparency. Cox earned her J.D. with honors from the University of Notre Dame, focussed on international law and human rights, and has experience in immigration law. She is admitted to practice in California and before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
A top European pharmaceutical industry association has named a new director general, coming from Sweden.
Read More…
The head of the Brazilian intellectual property office was recently removed by the new Culture minister, replaced by an official who has some wondering if a swing toward stronger copyright protection is in the works for the government.
Read More…
A key international public-private initiative to increase global vaccination has named a new CEO with public and private sector links.
Read More…
US President Obama today nominated current US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to be ambassador to China. US intellectual property rights holders see it as a positive contribution to what they see as fight against massive piracy and counterfeiting from China. Locke has a history of helping US firms do business in China. Read More…
Free Press, a US non-profit working to reform media, announced that its president is stepping down after almost a decade, to be replaced by the current managing director in mid-April. Read More…
A number of law firms and a key trademark industry group have made changes in recent weeks aimed at boosting their intellectual property practices. Read More…
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has announced the appointment of a new executive director. Read More…
The Motion Picture Association of America, the influential US film industry group, has landed a highly regarded former US senator as its next chairman and chief executive officer. Read More…
A Washington intellectual property lawyer and private sector representative has been named deputy director at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Her area of expertise is pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life science issues, USPTO said in a release. Read More…
The appointment of former United States Register of Copyrights to the board of directors of the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) was announced yesterday. Read More…
A respected US law professor has been named senior advisor to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for consumer protection and competition issues that affect the internet and mobile markets. Read More…
The head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program intends to retire from his position in June, according to a press release. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s leading international advocate for intellectual property rights has joined the Gates Foundation Global Health Program. Read More…
