USTR Toughens IP Stance On China, Russia, Thailand; Praises EU, Brazil30/04/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentBy William New The United States Trade Representative’s office on 30 April announced the elevation of its pressure on China, Russia, Thailand, and others to better protect US intellectual property rights. But the announcement stirred reactions by accentuating the increasingly political-sounding criticism by developed countries of Thailand’s decision to utilise flexibilities under international trade rules […]
WIPO PCT Reform Ends As Swiss Disclosure Proposal Suspended30/04/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy William New Switzerland is known for its neutrality in many international forums, but when it comes to intellectual property rights, it generally has an opinion in favour, unsurprising given its high number of rights holders. Last week at the World Intellectual Property Organization, the government showed how it can make a move to favour IP rights in an international forum while retaining that special art of Swiss diplomacy.The Working Group on Reform of the WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) held its ninth session from 23 to 26 April. The PCT, which allows recognition of a patent filed in one nation to be recognised in all PCT members, is an important contributor to WIPO’s finances through fees it charges.At the meeting, Switzerland again prepared to put forward a proposal to amend the PCT regulations to “explicitly enable the national patent legislation” to require the declaration of the source of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in patent applications. This would leave it up to the national level to decide whether to make disclosure part of national law. It would allow that disclosure could take place at the national level or later during the international phase, said the proposal, PCT/R/WG/9/5.
IP Enforcement Directive Clears EU Parliament But Opposition Remains26/04/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch A European Commission proposal to criminalise intentional, for-profit intellectual property counterfeiting and piracy won backing from the European Parliament on 25 April. The 374-278 first-reading vote on an amended version of the IP enforcement rights directive, known as IPRED2, followed months of controversy and heavy lobbying which show […]
China Leads Developing Country Push For Balance In IP And Standards24/04/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsBy William New BEIJING – China’s rapid development can be seen everywhere in the capital, where the skyline is perforated by construction cranes in all directions. But China’s vigorous effort to update structures does not stop at its borders. China is one of several leading developing countries that have become players on the global economic […]
US WTO Cases Against China Draw Reactions24/04/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen NEW YORK – A United States official who presented the arguments for why the United States has taken China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) for alleged breaches of trade law related to intellectual property rights and market access was met with strong support from industry and lawyers, but equally strong criticism from others at a recent conference.
Open Source, Standards Get A Boost In China24/04/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy William New BEIJING – Open-source software is receiving a rapid uptake in key developing countries and users, local industries and governments say it offers them market opening, flexibility and lower costs. China, perhaps the biggest potential market, showed last week how much open source is part of its plans. The adoption of open-source software […]
Officials: European Patent In Five Years, London Protocol By End Of Year23/04/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen MUNICH – If high-ranking officials speaking at a recent European Patent Office (EPO) meeting are right, the European fight over languages in patent applications may be over by the end of this year following France’s election, and Europe could have a Community patent within the next five years. A Community […]
EPO Report Prompts Debate On New Models For IP System23/04/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen MUNICH – The launch of a new European Patent Office (EPO) report on the future of the intellectual property system prompted debate at a recent meeting regarding new ways of thinking about patenting and sharing of information in the future. The EPO report, Scenarios for the Future, was issued at […]
Top IP Official Cites Swiss Patent Litigation System, Global Over-Patenting23/04/2007 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentBy Catherine Saez The addition of new actors including developing countries and a trend of over-patenting in some developed countries is leading to an overload of the global patent system, according to Roland Grossenbacher, director of the Swiss Federal Institute for Intellectual Property. In addition, a patent litigation system is needed in the Europe Union […]
EU Copyright Group Seeks Solutions to Digitisation Roadblocks20/04/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBy Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Problems related to digital preservation, orphan works and out-of-print materials must be resolved if European Commission plans to digitise and make accessible Europe’s cultural heritage are to succeed, copyright experts said in an 18 April report. The Digital Libraries project is part of a Commission drive to boost […]
