Tribunal de Estados Unidos reexamina la protección por patente de modelos comerciales 19/05/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Por Drew Clark para Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC.- El principal tribunal de apelación de Estados Unidos que entiende en litigios de patentes reconsideró de lleno si la decisión de Estados Unidos, adoptada en 1998, de dar mayor cabida a la protección por patentes de métodos comerciales era la política de propiedad intelectual adecuada. La […]
Intellectual Property Issues Come To A Head At World Health Assembly 19/05/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment [Note: Monday midday update below] By William New Member governments of the World Health Organization will try this week to finalise a strategy and plan of action to stimulate innovation on diseases disproportionately affecting poor populations. The members also will discuss the WHO’s latest efforts on counterfeit medicines, the impact of intellectual property rights on […]
Suspension des obligations au titre de l’Accord sur les ADPIC: une alternative croissante en matière de sanction 16/05/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par Catherine Saez Prendre des mesures de rétorsion à l’égard d’un pays violant les règles de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC) en sanctionnant les activités qu’il exerce dans un secteur autre que celui concerné par la violation constitue une alternative efficace aux mesures de rétorsion touchant le secteur concerné par la violation, en particulier quand […]
UN Events Map Efforts To Narrow Digital Divide, Increase Information Access 16/05/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara Nearly three weeks of meetings of governments, civil society organisations, trade groups, and intergovernmental bodies will report on how far nations have come towards bridging the so-called “digital divide” between those who have access to information technology and all of its attendant benefits, and those whom the digital revolution is passing by. […]
Bush Administration Presses On For Patent Reform Bill This Year 16/05/2008 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch Despite an apparent stalemate on patent reform in the United States Congress, the Bush administration is still pushing for a bill to be completed this congressional session. Speaking in California’s Silicon Valley this week, US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez acknowledged that talks over S 1145, the Patent […]
IP Rights Arise In UN Debate On The Right To Participate In Cultural Life 15/05/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Catherine Saez Intellectual property rights came into play in a recent discussion on the right of all humans to take part in cultural life organised by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). The right to take part in cultural life is an accepted fundamental human right, mentioned in several […]
High US Court Reconsiders Policy Of Patenting Business Methods 15/05/2008 by Drew Clark for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Drew Clark for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – The chief US appeals court that rules on patent disputes has squarely reconsidered whether the United States’ 1998 decision to allow greater berth for business method patents was the right intellectual property policy. Adding heft to the position of changing course on business method patents was the US Patent and Trademark Office, which challenged a patent application on a method for financial hedging by inventors Bernard Bilski and Rand Warsaw. The USPTO urged the court to reject the patent as ineligible subject matter. It offered a standard for invalidating the patent that demonstrated a dramatic change of course for the US government over the past 10 years.
Suspensión de obligaciones en virtud del Acuerdo sobre los ADPIC: una nueva alternativa de retorsión de la OMC 15/05/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por Catherine Saez Cuando un país infringe las normas de la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), la retorsión contra dicho país mediante la imposición de sanciones a sus actividades en un sector comercial no relacionado puede ser una opción más eficaz para los países en desarrollo que una retorsión aplicada dentro del sector de la […]
EU Internal Market Chief: Counterfeiting and Piracy Need Industry-Led Solutions 14/05/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The European Commission wants practical, pragmatic suggestions for fighting the “modern-day highway robbery” known as piracy and counterfeiting, Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said at a 13 May commission-sponsored high level conference on the issues. McCreevy stressed that more regulation is not the answer, and that solutions lie […]
European Patent Forum Weighs Usefulness Of IP System For Climate Change 14/05/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara This year’s European Patent Forum concluded with a clear consensus on the importance of addressing the problem of climate change but with no clear way forward on how the intellectual property system might help. But leading figures at the forum suggested that more innovation and significant improvements in the IP system might […]