WIPO Copyright Committee Plan For Week: Broadcasting, Limitations, Side Events30/06/2014 by Maëli Astruc for Intellectual Property Watch, William New and Catherine Saez Leave a CommentThe World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee has agreed to split its week between work on a proposed treaty to protect broadcasters’ rights and efforts to provide copyright exceptions for libraries, archives, and research and educational institutions. It also has lined up many side events throughout the week.
WIPO And Caribbean IP, What’s The Point?30/06/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentRecent months have seen a few interesting intellectual property symposia in the Caribbean, in particular the WIPO–JIPO Regional Conference on IP and creative industries which was held in Jamaica from February 10-12 2014. It is quite interesting that in spite of the intention that it should be regional as indicated in the title of the conference, there seems to have been little participation from the fifteen member countries of Caricom and that most of the sessions focused on Jamaica and its situation, perhaps a natural outcome of the WIPO–JIPO collaboration. Progressive Caribbean intellectuals in the area of intellectual property were also notably absent from the forum, writes Abiola Inniss.
EPO President Battistelli’s Term Extended Amid Staff Concerns30/06/2014 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe term of European Patent Office (EPO) President Benoît Battistelli has been extended for three years to 30 June 2018. The vote by the European Patent Organisation Administrative Council strongly backed Battistelli’s quality and efficiency reforms, but sparked unhappiness from staff who see the president as a “dictator”.
When Cornish Pasty (GI) Meets Feta Cheese (AO) At WIPO For Equal Protection29/06/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentAn amendment to elevate the status of geographical indications at the World Intellectual Property Organization appears to be on track for a high-level final negotiation in 2015 after a meeting last week.
WIPO Copyright Committee: More Rights Or Limitations/Exceptions?29/06/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentThe World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee meets next week with some uncertainty. Unable to agree on the future work of the committee at the end of the last session, delegates will have to decide how they want to advance work on a proposed treaty protecting broadcasting organisations, and on limitations and exceptions to copyright for the benefit of libraries and education.
The Right To Be Forgotten: Balancing Conflicting Rights26/06/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch and Joséphine De Ruyck for Intellectual Property Watch 4 CommentsIn a widely publicised case last month, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) applied the “right to be forgotten,” requesting that internet search engines, under certain circumstances, delist links to personal data upon request. The court’s decision establishes a contentious balance between the right to privacy and the public’s right to access to information. The ECJ left this balance to search engines to implement on a case-by-case basis. While some argue in favour of these decisions, others fear the larger worldwide implications that cases are leading to.
Online Trust: Between Competences And Intentions26/06/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentJovan Kubalija writes: Trust (or the lack thereof) is a frequent theme in public debates. It is often seen as a monolithic concept. However, we trust different people for different reasons, and in different ways. Sometimes we trust that people can do something (competences). In other situations our trust focuses on their intentions. This text is about trust in online space. It is inspired by discussions at the WSIS+10 high level dialogue on cybersecurity and trust.
Hamamoto Is New US Ambassador To UN In Geneva26/06/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe United Nations Office in Geneva today announced the official arrival of the new ambassador of the United States to the UN in Geneva, Pamela Hamamoto.
US Supreme Court Aereo Ruling Threatens New Risks For Online Firms25/06/2014 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentInternet start-up Aereo suffered a major defeat today, when the US Supreme Court ruled that the company was guilty of copyright infringement. But Aereo may not be the only loser. The ruling could jeopardise a wide variety of other online businesses, many experts warned.
Global Challenges, Opportunities Of Cryptocurrencies Such As Bitcoins24/06/2014 by Maëli Astruc for Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentBitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could compete with national currencies in the long term, but still face many challenges, according to panellists at a recent event in Geneva. Furthermore, the blockchain technology – the open source software which underpins those cryptocurrencies – could have innovative applications in other sectors, including intellectual property protection, they said.
