The Indian Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 And Its Functioning So Far 23/10/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments It’s been a little over two years since the Copyright Act, 1957 was extensively amended in 2012 with far-reaching ramifications for all categories of stakeholders. The amendments purported to introduce a level playing field for different categories of right holders in the entertainment industry, recognise the access needs of users of the copyrighted works in general and visually impaired population of the country in particular, align the copyright regime of the country with rapid advances in technology and streamline copyright enforcement and administration. To gauge the influence of the amendments on copyright regime in India as well as to see if their implementation so far has been in sync with the legislative intent, this article seeks to evaluate the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 as well as their working, writes Abhai Pandey.
Life Sciences Stakeholders Assess Accessing Emerging Markets 23/10/2014 by Magda Voltolini for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment PARIS –Life sciences stakeholders at a recent conference explored matters associated with market access in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and in the Middle East and North Africa regions.
This Week’s Vote Will Show Who Finnish MPs Listen To On Copyright, EFFi Says 22/10/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment On 24 October, the Finnish Parliament is expected to vote on the Citizens’ Initiative for Common Sense for Copyright Act, which aims to make Finnish copyright law more user-oriented. But with a proposal to gut the Act, a counter-proposal to save it, and unprecedented lobbying expected, the next two days should be interesting, writes Electronic Frontier Finland.
Little-Known Case May Dramatically Change US Patent System 22/10/2014 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The patent case recently argued before the US Supreme Court is relatively unknown, and for good reason. It involves no exciting new technology. It has no controversial patent claims (e.g., covering human genes). However, Teva Pharms. USA v. Sandoz, Inc. could produce major changes in America’s patent system.
TRIPS Council Next Week: Tobacco, Innovation, Non-Violations, Public Health Review 22/10/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The next meeting of the World Trade Organization Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is scheduled to take place on 28-29 October. In addition to the regular agenda items of the Council, two additional agenda items have been submitted by members, relating to tobacco plain packaging and innovation. Image Credits: Catherine Saez
UPOV Meetings Conclude With New Observers; Tanzania Can Become UPOV Member 22/10/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The international body protecting new varieties of plants concluded a week-long set of meetings with a number of decisions, among which was the re-appointment of its secretary general, and the addition of an international organisation and a farmers’ organisation as observers. The national legislation on plant breeders of Zanzibar was approved, opening the way for Tanzania to become a UPOV member.
WTO Director General Presents TRIPS As Major Tool For Trade Growth 21/10/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevêdo this week hailed WTO’s intellectual property agreement, saying the past two decades show it provides a balanced multilateral foundation for the growth of trade in knowledge-rich products and services.
Ebola Vaccine Candidates Centre Of Attention; Clinical Trials, IP Negotiations Start 21/10/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Today, the World Health Organization gave a press briefing to update journalists on what to expect in the near future on Ebola treatments and vaccines.
Review of “Digital Depression: Information Technology And Economic Crisis” 21/10/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Information and communication technologies (ICTs), and in particular the internet, have revolutionized and disrupted all aspects of human activity, and even behaviour. This has resulted in many academic publications and much discussion, including in intergovernmental bodies, regarding various issues, including how best to govern the internet. Dan Schiller’s book helps us to understand the background of these events, which have affected economic and political power relations, and how US policies have consistently favoured capital over labour, and have resulted in transfers of vast sums from developing countries to developed countries, writes Richard Hill.
USTR’s Investigations On IP Rights Against India: Is There A Tenable Case? 20/10/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments On 14 October, the US Trade Representative (USTR) began the out-of-cycle review (OCR) of India’s intellectual property (IP) laws, the mandate which it gave itself in the 2014 Special 301 Report. Like several years in the past, the USTR once again included India in the Priority Watch List, but this time, India’s IP laws are being subjected to the additional scrutiny through an OCR. It is to be seen whether the OCR sets the stage for naming India as a Priority Foreign Country, viewed by the USTR as worst offender of intellectual property rights, in the next Special 301 report. USTR’s inclusion of India for the OCR was a reflection of the influence that the domestic lobbies have on the country’s engagement with its partner countries, and about USTR’s consistency with World Trade Organization rules, writes Biswajit Dhar.