US Continues To Block Progress On WTO Appeals Body, While Rapidly Adding Cases To The System 20/07/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States is piling up dispute settlement cases against its trading partners at the World Trade Organization while at the same time ironically blocking any progress on the selection of panellists for appeals in the WTO dispute settlement process.
Honduras Files Appeal Against WTO Ruling That Allowed Tobacco Plain Packaging 20/07/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization last month released the long-awaited ruling of its dispute settlement body on Australia’s legislation requiring plain packaging for tobacco products, finding in favour of Australia. Yesterday, Honduras filed a formal appeal against the ruling.
NGOs: Countries Pressured To Drop Reference To Affordable Medicines In UN TB Negotiations 20/07/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments United Nations members in the final days of negotiating the text of the declaration for a late September high-level meeting on tuberculosis have come under pressure from the United States to omit language referring to the importance of making affordable medicines available to patients in need, according to an urgent bulletin today from a health advocacy group.
Oppositions Filed Against Gilead Hepatitis C Patent Applications In India 20/07/2018 by Gaensly Joseph for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Oppositions have been filed in India against two patent applications from US pharmaceutical company Gilead for important hepatitis C medicines, according to non-governmental sources. The opposition filings assert that these applications are “evergreening” patents and therefore violate Indian patent law.
Central Banks Consider Blockchain-Based Digital Currency At ITU Meeting 20/07/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – The UN International Telecommunication Union’s Digit Fiat Currency (ITU-DFC) Focus Group is meeting in New York this week to consider the potential promise and pitfalls of central bank-issued digital currency.
Dangers Of Means Plus Function Limitations In US Patent Prosecution 19/07/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Broad patent protection is one of the goals when securing patent protection for inventions (i.e., new products and services). However, issues start to arise when the claim language becomes too broad. For example, broad claims might be construed as a means plus function limitation against the intentions of the patent prosecutor, and in some cases, those patents are invalidated as being indefinite. At least, this is the case with US patent prosecution. The patent laws of other jurisdictions treat means plus function style of claiming differently, and in my experience, less detrimental to the validity of the patent, writes James Yang.
WIPO Looks At Importance Of Standards Documents, Collaboration Of IP Offices And Standards Organisations 18/07/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Common standards are essential for technologies, particularly for interoperability. However, a number of technologies essential to standards are patented, which has created issues relating to licensing or high royalties. Last week, the World Intellectual Property Organization organised an information session on patents and standards, including aspects of patent quality, issues relating to international trade, and the role of the organisation in facilitating the relationship between patents and standards.
Global Innovation Divide: Can Investment In Innovation Bridge The Gap? 17/07/2018 by David Branigan and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Global Innovation Index 2018, launched on 10 July in New York, has lauded the rise of China as a model for how other low and middle-income economies can advance on innovation. Amid this optimism, however, the global innovation divide remains in step with the global income divide, raising questions for how to bridge this gap. The new index shows signs of progress.
(Video) Europe’s Innovation Renaissance, China’s ‘Astonishing’ Rise: Global Innovation Index 2018 17/07/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European countries led by Switzerland are experiencing an “innovation renaissance,” this year’s Global Innovation Index shows, while the scale of China’s rise in the index is “quite astonishing,” Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, senior economic officer at the World Intellectual Property Organization, says in a short video interview with Intellectual Property Watch.
Albania Introduces New Trademark Regulation 17/07/2018 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new trademark regulation entered into force in Albania on June 7, 2018, clarifying a range of issues raised by the changes to the Albanian Industrial Property Law in force as of March 24, 2017. Some of the most significant changes and clarifications concern the following: