Santa Cruz To Head Chilean IP Office; Kappos Named USPTO Director 19/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment A well-liked and influential IP policymaker in Geneva will head Chile’s national IP office, a US lawyer responsible for perhaps the world’s biggest industry patent portfolio will head the US IP office, and a fixture in the Geneva international trade negotiating and lobbying community is heading home to Canada.
Financial Crisis Provides Opportunity, Pitfalls For Green Innovation 18/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment LAUSANNE – One should not waste a good crisis, goes the common wisdom – a piece of advice policymakers might use to spur the world closer to a green, knowledge-based economy, said a panel at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Wednesday. The current financial crisis and an awakening recognition of the ecological crisis have presented a unique opportunity for innovation – and particularly green innovation – to take a lead role in driving future economies.
EFF: Keeping Patents Off Public Domain, Opening ACTA 18/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office has announced that it will revoke an illegitimate patent on internet subdomains that was seen as potentially threatening to the public domain. The US patent, held by a company called Hoshiko, claimed to cover the method of automatically assigning internet subdomains, like “action.eff.org” for the parent domain “eff.org.” […]
Nations Work To Make IP Systems Combat Climate Change 18/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With less than a year to complete a new global plan to combat climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is under pressure to be able to move to a decision at the end of the year. But it is in the longer-term action plans that intellectual property issues are featuring most prominently, as parties to the UNFCCC aim to satisfy the need for growth in poor countries, and to mitigate effects of growth on the environment – a move that will require effective technology transfer.
Media Companies Offer UK Unlimited Music … Or Else! 17/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Media giants Virgin Media and Universal Music have teamed up to create the world’s first unlimited digital download service that comes with the blessing of content owners – though only for residents of the United Kingdom. Britons using Virgin Media’s broadband to connect to the internet will soon be able to download or stream any […]
Talks On Traditional Knowledge And Access, Benefit-Sharing 16/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An expert body on traditional knowledge as it relates to an access and benefit-sharing regime on genetic resources began discussion Tuesday in India. They will examine the way in which proposed aspects of the regime relate to indigenous communities and the way in which they manage and protect their knowledge. The creation of an international […]
UN Special Rapporteur: IP In Health Helping Those With Most Means, Less Need 16/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Nearly two billion people lack access to the medical care they need, and in the developing world those who do manage to have access are overwhelmingly paying out-of-pocket, often triggering a fall into poverty. The monopoly-making power of patents to drive the cost of medicines beyond affordability is a significant contributor to this disturbing trend, says a report of the United Nations rapporteur on the right to health presented at last week’s Human Rights Council.
Trademark Worry Over Facebook Usernames 12/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Facebook users starting Saturday will get the chance to add a nickname of their choice to the web address of their profiles. These new usernames, which will make Facebook addresses easier to find and easier to remember, are being assigned on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 12:01 am Eastern Daylight Time on 13 June. […]
Turning Points Ahead For WTO Geographical Indications, Biodiversity? 12/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The coming months could spell changes in the long-running World Trade Organization talks on creating a register for wines and spirits geographical indications and amending WTO rules to better protect biodiversity rights. Developed countries that have been blocking progress on the issues for years may be pushed at a political level, according to some sources.
Generic Drug Delay Called “Systemic” Problem At TRIPS Council 09/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Seizures of legal generic drugs was the focus of heated discussion Monday at the World Trade Organization Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), raising questions about the implementation of enforcement measures in the European Union.