Panel On US Patent Law Ethics Finds Compromises and Hope31/03/2007 by John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsBy John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Panellists at the all-day 29 March symposium “Ethical Issues in Patent Law” expressed frustration at the inability to improve patent system processes that self-protectively resist change. But the symposium was also filled with lessons on dealing with ethical issues and a determination to keep […]
EU Copyright Enforcement Draft Clears Parliamentary Panel; Concerns Linger23/03/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch A European Commission proposal to criminalise commercial intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements is headed for a vote in the European Parliament despite strong opposition to some provisions from industry sectors and consumer groups. On 20 March, members of the Legal Affairs (JURI) committee backed a report authored by […]
Google’s Expanded Functions Spark More Lawsuits and Debate22/03/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Google is turning the intellectual property world on its head as it battles challenges to its search, book publishing and online video activities. The outcome of the debate over whether any are compatible with copyright law is by no means certain, legal experts said this week.Yet Google doesn’t think it is shaking up copyright law, said Rachel Whetstone, director of European corporate communications and public affairs.
La Thaïlande présente un rapport sur son expérience des licences obligatoires21/03/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentPar Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Un représentant thaïlandais a déclaré que son Gouvernement recevait nettement plus d’appels depuis qu’il a émis des licences obligatoires pour importer et, à terme, produire des médicaments brevetés, contraignant les titulaires des brevets à baisser leurs prix. Dans le cadre d’une réunion le 8 mars dernier à Genève, les sceptiques […]
Seminar Addresses Liability, Filtering Of User-Posted Online Content19/03/2007 by John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – “What goes up on the Internet must come down because of copyright infringement until it goes up again,” according to James DeLong, moderator of a 16 March seminar in Washington, DC. The seminar heard views on liability, filtering and copyrights related to user-generated content online, and offered a voice to Viacom to explain its legal attack on Google’s popular video upload site YouTube.
In Clash With Activists, Critics Charge Thailand Violation Of Trade Rules19/03/2007 by Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsBy Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Critics of Thailand’s decision to issue compulsory licenses for several patented drugs said the Thai government violated global trade rules, as they clashed with public health activists at a 16 March briefing on Capitol Hill, home of the United States Congress. Ronald A. Cass, dean […]
WIPO Addresses Rapid Rise In Patent Information Use19/03/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The use of an online, searchable patent-information system run by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has tripled in the past 12 months, according to WIPO. But a recent colloquium on the topic showed that patent information is still an untapped resource that could be better utilised, and WIPO is […]
Tailandia presenta informe sobre su experiencia con licencias obligatorias19/03/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentPor Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Un funcionario tailandés afirma que los teléfonos del Gobierno han comenzado a sonar con mayor frecuencia desde que Tailandia concedió licencias obligatorias para importar y, finalmente, fabricar medicamentos patentados, lo cual ha obligado a los titulares de patentes a disminuir sus precios. Sin embargo, en una reunión reciente, los escépticos […]
Record Global Trademark Filings in 2006; China Tops Designations15/03/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentBy Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The year 2006 was “a very good year” for the international trademark system with a record number of filings, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). China and Russia were the favourite countries in terms of where trademarks should apply, while Germany remained the top source country for filers […]
EU Parliament: Competition Yes, But No ‘Big Bang’ For Collective Rights14/03/2007 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch The European Parliament this week passed a resolution on cross-border collective rights management asking for a framework directive at the EU level that would encourage more competition. But parliamentary members of the bigger political party groups warned against a “big bang” of unrestricted competition and an overly rapid […]
