United States Chided As TRIPS Scofflaw At WTO 26/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A clause unfairly protecting a rum company’s US market by denying trademark rights quietly stuck into a US Congress appropriations bill in the deep of night in the late 1990s continues to haunt the halls of the World Trade Organization – but that does not seem to trouble US trade authorities. And this is not the only intellectual property-related case being met with US indifference, an irony for possibly the biggest proponent of IP rights in the world.
Innovation, IPR Cooperation Among Top Priorities For BRICS 26/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The trade ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) today concluded a framework for cooperation that includes innovation and intellectual property rights, but separately.
ICANN Trademark Clearinghouse: Preregistration Rights Only For Those Who Pay? 26/03/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Starting today, trademark owners from around the world will be able to have their rights recorded in the Trademark Clearinghouse of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Designed to help trademark owners manage the flood of new internet domains being launched by ICANN, it’s an open question whether they will be satisfied with it.
UPOV 1991 Will Adversely Impact Farmers In Tanzania, Civil Society And Farmers Say 25/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Tanzania is on the road to becoming a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), but Tanzanian civil society and farmers’ organisations have warned about possible detrimental effects on small-holder farmers and have asked government to halt the ratification process until all stakeholders have been consulted.
Comparison Of US, EU Treaties Highlights Differences On ISP Liability 25/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Following the announcement that the United States and European Union will negotiate a free trade agreement, a comparison of recent US and EU treaties shows differences in their treatment of intellectual property.
South Africa: Trampling Tradition – A Call For Support 25/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On 5 March, the Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Wilmot James, submitted a Private Members’ Bill to the Office of the Speaker entitled the Protection of Traditional Knowledge Bill – a new traditional knowledge bill that would supplant the one recently sent back by the president of South Africa, Cobus Jooste writes.
Global Fund Receives USD 1.65B From US Congress; Names New Board Leadership 25/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Congress on 21 March approved US$ 1.65 billion in aid and support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and US$ 4.07 billion for the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The Global Fund also announced a new Board chair and vice-chair.
Diverging Views On IPR Protection Needs In Africa Emerge At IP Workshop 25/03/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Nigeria’s booming film industry, born in an intellectual property-free environment, was presented as a case study of how IP needs may vary depending on context during a recent workshop organised by the US Commerce Department. In parallel, representatives of multinational brands and law enforcement delivered a strong message on the gravity of counterfeit trade, highlighting its link to organised crime.
US Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On Pay-For-Delay Drug Deals 23/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Monday in a case in which the US Federal Trade Commission is questioning payments made by brand name pharmaceutical companies to generic producers for delayed entry into the market of lower priced generics.
ICANN Releases gTLD Initial Evaluation Results 22/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today began posting the first generic top level domains (gTLDs) to pass Initial Evaluation of its new gTLD programme.