“Innocence of Muslims” Creates Copyright Controversy In US31/03/2014 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentWhen “Innocence of Muslims” first appeared online, the video provoked outrage among millions of Muslims around the world. Now the consternation has spread to many copyright experts, internet firms, news organisations, and entertainment companies, who assert that a recent 9th Circuit decision about the movie makes a major change in US copyright law, with terrible consequences for the internet, media, and free speech. Others state that the ruling makes no change at all in US law.
UKIPO: New Exceptions In UK Copyright Law Boost Flexibility For Users31/03/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsOn 27 March, the United Kingdom introduced new exceptions to its Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 “to make our copyright system better suited to the digital age,” the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has said.
Korea Joins Hague Agreement; WIPO Hopes Others Will Follow31/03/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsToday, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) joined the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. A ceremony was held at the World Intellectual Property Organization, according to a press release by KIPO.
Revised Text On TK Protection On Its Way To WIPO Assembly30/03/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentJust like the draft text on the protection of genetic resources last month, a set of draft articles on the protection of traditional knowledge have cleared a hurdle and will be forwarded to the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly next autumn.
Alleged Leaked EU Analysis Sheds Light On TTIP Negotiations On IP28/03/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsAn alleged leaked analysis by the European Union provides insight into the intellectual property section of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States. And separately, the US International Trade Commission released a report on trade barriers that US small businesses perceive in exporting to Europe.
Alternative Therapies, Incentive Models Eyed For Antibiotic Resistance28/03/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentAs bacteria become more and more resistant to existing medicines, product pipelines are drying up. A solution may lie in a forgotten therapy developed in 1917, the use of which has been restricted to certain parts of Eastern Europe ever since the discovery and universal use of antibiotics. But business models and intellectual property regimes need to change to provide incentives for research and development in this area.
WIPO Members Working On Evolving Draft Of Potential TK Treaty28/03/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentWorld Intellectual Property Organization member states today are trying to agree on the draft text of a potential international instrument to protect traditional knowledge from misappropriation.
US Defends Investor-State Provisions; EU Promotes TTIP Consultation27/03/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 CommentsInvestor-state provisions in trade and investment agreements, which allow private companies to sue governments for policies taken that undermine the companies’ investment expectations, have come under recent scrutiny for their potential to undermine the public interest. Today, the United States Trade Representative published a blog post defending these provisions, while the European Union opened a public consultation on the provisions in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US.
WHO Members Discuss Engagement With Non-State Actors This Week27/03/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe World Health Organization this week is holding an information consultation with member states on the UN agency’s engagement with “non-state actors.” The meeting follows a request by member states at the January WHO Executive Board to pursue discussions on a framework for the organisation’s engagement with non-state actors, which has been changing in recent years.
Australia Accepts Indonesia WTO Dispute On Tobacco Packaging; Calls For Five Disputes To Be Joined27/03/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentAustralia yesterday took the unusual move of agreeing to the first request by Indonesia to establish a World Trade Organization dispute panel against it. The ready acceptance of the panel request was an attempt by Australia to bring the some or all of the five separate cases against its tobacco plain packaging law together for resource reasons and to protect the integrity of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, it said in a statement to the Dispute Settlement Body.
