Digital Library Europeana Said To Be Europe’s Answer to Google Books Settlement28/08/2009 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentGoogle’s settlement in the United States of copyright infringement claims by authors and book publishers faces strong opposition from European publishers. The deal does not apply to books outside the US and one Google official has suggested the need for a similar service in Europe. Could digital library Europeana be the solution? A 28 August European Commission policy statement addressed that concern and others.
Informal UN Climate Talks Indicate Continued Divergence On IP Issues28/08/2009 by Kaitlin Mara, Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsWith 15 scheduled negotiating days left before a meeting in Copenhagen meant to set the global sustainability agenda for the next several years, the head of the United Nations agency tasked with coordinating the global effort to fight climate change has issued an urgent call for more speed toward convergence on all parts of the upcoming climate change agreement, especially on IP-related text – lest the entire thing fall through.
Open Source Textbook Service Sees Interest Jump28/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentA United States publisher of open source college textbooks – licensed under Creative Commons and fully remixable – has seen interest in its service increase more than 30-fold in the past several months, according to a press release [pdf] by the company. Flat World Knowledge aims to reduce the cost of textbooks for university students […]
India May Be Nearing Dispute Settlement With EU Over Generic Drug Seizures28/08/2009 by Kaitlin Mara, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentOngoing concerns in India that their legitimate generic drug shipments are being delayed as potential counterfeits while in transit through Europe may reach the dispute settlement body at the World Trade Organization, according to sources.
EU, US Bristle As Drug Innovators Pay To Delay New Generics25/08/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentAuthorities in the European Union and the United States have recently taken a tougher stance against reverse payments – patent settlements whereby, according to many competition experts, dominant drug companies buy off potential rivals.
Indian High Court Rejects Bayer Complaint For Patent Linkage21/08/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch and Kaitlin Mara 3 CommentsIndian generics manufacturer Cipla can get marketing approval for its generic cancer treatment Soranib, the Delhi High Court ruled Tuesday, and the Indian drug regulatory authority does not have to check its patent status first. The court this week rejected a complaint by drug multinational Bayer against the Union of India, the Drug Controller General of India and generic drug producer Cipla.Bayer sought a court order requiring DCGI to consider the patent status of kidney cancer drug, sorafenib tosylate (sold under the brand name Nexavar), before granting marketing approval for a generic version of the drug.At issue was whether it is legitimate to link a potential violation of IP rights to processes regulating a drug’s entry onto the market that are generally based on drug quality, efficacy and safety.
Law Professors Debate Bilski19/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentA potentially paradigm-shifting legal case that could restrict the granting of business method patents in the United States, Bilski v. Doll has attracted the attention of policy makers world-wide, who expect its outcome to influence the international patent system (IPW, US Policy, 31 July 2009). At issue in the case is whether or not a […]
WTO Panel Rules China Must Open To Foreign Content13/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentA World Trade Organization panel has found China has not respected some international trade obligations in a dispute brought by the United States alleging unfair treatment by China of US publications and audiovisual products, the WTO said on 12 August. According to the decision, China has acted inconsistently with provisions of its WTO Accession Protocol, […]
美国最高法院复审比尔斯基案可能震动专利制度12/08/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment去年10月，一家美国上诉法院极大地改变了美国的专利法，从而在就何种发明能够受到专利保护这一问题上采取的做法更接近其他国家的标准。联邦上诉巡回法庭（Federal Circuit Court of Appeals，经常被称为美国的“专利法庭”）撤销了自己基本判例，并大幅减少了符合专利保护各类方法和程序。该判决使数千个专利前途未卜，其中就包括许多商业方法专利和金融方法专利。
La revisión del caso Bilski por parte de la Corte Suprema de los EE.UU. podría repercutir en todo el sistema de patentes12/08/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentEl pasado mes de octubre, un tribunal de apelación de los Estados Unidos modificó drásticamente la ley de patentes, acercando así las normas de este país a las de otros en lo relativo a las invenciones que se pueden patentar. El Tribunal de Apelación del Circuito Federal (apodado a menudo el “tribunal de patentes” de los EE.UU) anuló uno de sus precedentes fundamentales y redujo fuertemente los tipos de métodos y procesos que pueden ser objeto de protección mediante patentes. La decisión dejó en entredicho a miles de patentes, entre ellas muchas relacionadas con métodos comerciales y métodos financieros.
