Australia Accused Of Using Development Aid To Push Trade Agreements 15/02/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A United Nations independent expert yesterday issued a statement on Australia’s aid programmes for countries in need, praising some of the country’s work but warning that it not use such aid to pressure regional governments to enter into free trade agreements with it.
USPTO Requests Budget Increase, Expects Rise In Applications 15/02/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office yesterday submitted a request to the US Congress for a budget increase in 2012 on expectations of a rise in patent and trademark applications and promises of reductions in application processing times.
Study: Boon Of Drugs, Vaccines From Public Research 11/02/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new study finds that publicly funded research has had a greater positive impact on public health than previously believed.
Report: Nanotechnology Patents Spreading But Regulatory Framework Needed 11/02/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The non-profit ETC Group has released a report on global governance of nanoscale technologies that showed that thousands of patents are being granted on this still little understood area of science.
Economist: Breadth Of Patent Portfolio Better Than Betting On One Winner 11/02/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Determining the value of patented inventions is akin to a guessing game, said a speaker at the World Intellectual Property Organization yesterday. Companies should try to spread their patents over related technological innovations rather focusing on one patent, hoping it will be “the philosopher’s stone”.
US Chamber Of Commerce Releases 2011 IP Policy Agenda 10/02/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United States Chamber of Commerce, the industry lobbying giant in Washington, has issued its 2011 intellectual property agenda. The list of suggested legislative changes to be made by the Obama administration and the US Congress aim at further increasing resources and support for IP enforcement, including legislation to block websites deemed to infringe on IP rights.
Pharma Backs Calls For Extension Of TRIPS Deadline For Least-Developed Countries 10/02/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Developed country pharmaceutical companies today announced their support for an extension of the deadline for poor countries to comply with a global trade agreement on intellectual property rights that would significantly raise their obligations to protect IP. The extension idea has been proposed by the United Kingdom government in a new trade strategy document.
New White House IP Advisory Committees Elevate IP Enforcement To Highest Level 10/02/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments US President Barack Obama this week used an executive order to create two government advisory committees on intellectual property rights enforcement. The committees put IP rights at the highest interagency level possible and have the stated aim of promoting innovation through the protection of such rights.
International Patent Filings Begin To Bounce Back; China Rocketing, US At Half-Mast 09/02/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The storm appears to be subsiding for international patent filings as 2010 showed a cautious recovery in growth, the head of the World Intellectual Property Organization said today. After the first-ever drop in applications in 2009, 2010 filings almost returned to their 2008 level. And China holds pole position in growth numbers.
Leaks Show Real Aim Of ACTA, As Trade Chief Declares It Binding 09/02/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The recently completed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), negotiated by the countries that own most of the world’s intellectual property rights, is aimed at developing countries they hope will give value to those rights by protecting them, leaked documents show, according to French group La Quadrature du Net.