Brazil Issues US Retaliation List; Open To Talk 08/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Today the Brazilian government published a list of US goods that will be subject to higher import taxes when entering Brazil, according to a press release. This follows a WTO dispute settlement decision giving Brazil the authorisation to suspend Brazil’s concessions and other obligations in the WTO towards the US which was found in violation […]
Submissions To US Unilateral IP Enforcement Process Highlight Piracy, Health, and ACTA 05/03/2010 by Catherine Saez and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Submissions to the United States annual review of how well it says the rest of the world is protecting US intellectual property are being assessed this week, with marked changes from previous years.
WTO GIs Group Continues Work On Topic “Clusters” 05/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization group tasked with negotiating an international register for geographical indications (product names associated with a particular place and characteristics) on wines and spirits will continue to discuss a set of questions and principles about the GI register. The group met yesterday in a formal Special Session. But positions of member states […]
New Senate Patent Reform Bill Details Released 04/03/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments United States Senate Judiciary Committee bipartisan leaders today released details of much-anticipated compromise legislation aimed at reform of US patent laws. The new bill ostensibly makes significant steps toward resolving longstanding differences in legislative efforts to modernise US law for patent quality and efficiency, and make it more compatible with international laws.
EFF, 7,000 Petitioners Urge FCC To Protect Net Neutrality 04/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Electronic Frontier Foundation yesterday submitted a petition to the United States Federal Communications Commission demanding the FCC fill a loophole in its internet regulations that could allow for internet filtering of allegedly copyright infringing content. The petition accompanies a more extensive set of comments [pdf] on proposed FCC rules on internet neutrality, also sent […]
USTR Offers Answers To Some Thorny Questions On ACTA 03/03/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A letter from the United States government answering a variety of sticky questions about the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement has been released online. The 28 January letter is addressed to Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon) from US Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Court Finds German Data Retention Law Unconstitutional 02/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch The German Constitutional Court today declared German data retention legislation a violation of the fundamental right to privacy of correspondence and telecommunication (Article 10 of the German constitution). The law that is a transposition of the EU data retention directive from 2006 therefore is null and void, said […]
WTO TRIPS Council Considers Workshop On Public Health Amendment 02/03/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Trade Organization group on intellectual property rights met today and ended early, discussing a potential workshop on an amendment intended to ease access to cheaper generic medicines in countries without a pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, a new proposal from Bolivia and three separate longstanding IP issues with no major changes.
New ACTA Leak Details Differences, Broadening Scope 02/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new document on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) under negotiation has been circulated online. While it is unclear who it was leaked to, a copy of it is available here [pdf]. Apparently a working document from the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union to its delegations, it contains a comparative table […]
Battistelli Of France Is New EPO President 01/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Administrative Council of the Munich-based European Patent Organisation on 1 March elected Benoît Battistelli of France as next president of the European Patent Office (EPO), starting on 1 July. Battistelli is director general of the French National Institute of Industrial Property. He will succeed Alison Brimelow of the United Kingdom, and will serve a […]