US Loses Its Vote At UNESCO For Failing To Pay Dues 08/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States today lost its right to vote in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference for failing to pay its dues. The US withheld its dues after UNESCO members voted to grant Palestinian membership in 2011. The US has legislation against Palestinian membership as a state in organisations.
Presenting TM5: An Interview With The Korean Director Of Trademark And Design 08/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Seong-Joon Park is the director general of the Trademark & Design Examination Bureau at the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). He sat down this week with Intellectual Property Watch to present TM5, a joint global initiative on trademark and design with four other IP-intensive offices, and his vision for trademark and designs in South Korea. As part of the initiative, KIPO is holding a weeklong series of events on trademark and designs in December.
FSFE On Rockstar vs. Google: “Software Patents As A License For Privateering” 07/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) today issued a warning about the rise of Rockstar, a consortium of large companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Sony, formed to assert former Nortel patents. The consortium recently sued Google and other companies for infringement of several of those patents.
US Chamber Event To Rally Support For Trade Deals, Patent Litigation Bill 07/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A US Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) event tomorrow will include efforts to bring industry forces closer together to get congressional support for the nearly completed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and for proposed legislation on patent litigation.
Expert: US ‘Benign Dictatorship’ Of The Net Is Over; Age Of Encryption Begins 07/11/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Cypto-guru Bruce Schneier, who has analysed thousands of documents provided by Edward Snowden on the secret surveillance programmes of the US National Security Agency, has called on the technical community to add encryption to the network and also come up with a new model for internet governance.
WHO Experts To Narrow Health R&D Projects For Developing Countries At December Meeting 06/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Years-old efforts by members of the World Health Organization to come up with viable ways to boost research and development of medical products for diseases primarily affecting poor populations are coming to head, with a key meeting in December. That meeting of experts will be an opportunity to narrow down proposals being developed by the six WHO regional offices.
ITU Gets Involved In IP Protection 06/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has announced a workshop in Ukraine next year aimed at fighting counterfeit technology products, representing a notable foray into intellectual property rights protection by the UN agency.
Proposed WIPO Industrial Design Treaty Hung Up On Technical Assistance 04/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It was clear at today’s opening of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee on industrial designs that developing countries were standing firm on their request to include mandatory technical assistance and capacity building in a potential procedural treaty aimed at facilitating international registration of this form of intellectual property right.
WIPO Extraordinary General Assembly To Meet On 10-12 December 04/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization has scheduled an Extraordinary General Assembly from 10-12 December, in order to complete unfinished work from the annual WIPO General Assembly in September.
UK Implements Copyright Term Extension From 50 to 70 Years 04/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United Kingdom has announced the implementation of new rules that extend the term of copyright for sound recordings and performers rights in such recordings from 50 to 70 years.