US Special 301 Process Acclaimed By Industry, Assailed By Public Interest Groups 02/05/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments While heralded by patent- and copyright-based industries as a welcome step, the annual report on alleged inadequate protection of US intellectual property rights released by the Office of the US Trade Representative released this week is being blasted by some civil society groups.
Gurry To Judges: We Must Work For Changes To Global Patent Treaty 22/04/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WASHINGTON, DC – The Patent Cooperation Treaty is not performing up to par and is not helping enough to alleviate the stress on the global patent system, World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry said here Tuesday. The backlog theme was echoed by judges from across the globe who said their dockets are getting fuller with IP-related cases.
Obama Administration Lock(e)s And Loads Against Movie Piracy 22/04/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments WASHINGTON, DC – The Obama administration will fight for the movie industry and work to aggressively enforce its intellectual property protections both at home and abroad, United States Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said here Tuesday.
US Patent Reform Bills And Jobs: Critical Timing, Critical Differences 04/03/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States patent reform bills offered up Tuesday fall well short of what is needed to protect innovation and intellectual property rights, say myriad small tech companies, large-cap manufacturers, pharmaceutical firms and inventors. In fact, they say, it even threatens jobs at a time when the economy is in desperate need of them. But proponents argue that it is precisely the type of measure needed to promote jobs, reduce lawsuits and poor patent quality that put a drag on innovation and the economy.
IP Policy Issues May See Progress In A Changed US Landscape This Year 23/02/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the United States battles an economic meltdown, items like economic stimulus and home foreclosure relief are taking centre stage. Congress also is still working to confirm President Obama’s nominees. But once those items are dealt with, issues such as patent reform and intellectual property enforcement are expected to be hot-button items once again.
US Congress, Lobbyists Renew Patent Reform Slog With Focus On Damages 17/02/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments With patent reform expected to be introduced sooner rather than later in this 111th United States Congress, calculating damages for infringement remains one of the main sticking points.
US Debates Patent Exam Deferrals; Patent Reform Bill Expected This Year 13/02/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is considering a deferred-examination procedure to help reduce the backlog of the more than 770 million patent applications that have not yet been looked at. And the US Congress may be willing to help give the agency the authority to do so in this year’s patent-reform legislation.
Potential Names For Obama IP Team Swirl; WTO IP Chief “Imminent” 27/01/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Changes in several key international agencies and governments will bring a cadre of new faces to positions that address intellectual property policy, and some potential names for those spots have been circulating in recent weeks. The naming of the new chief of the World Trade Organization IP Division is “imminent,” according to sources close to the process. And as US President Barack Obama began his first weeks in office in late January, many IP-related positions also remain unfilled.
US Technology, IP Industries Offer Policy Wish Lists For Obama 12/12/2008 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch The United States Chamber of Commerce is calling on President-Elect Barack Obama to fill key intellectual property enforcement posts within the first 100 days of taking office. Meanwhile, other trade associations also have delineated their wishes on IP, innovation and technology, with one calling for a drastic […]
Peer To Patent System May Become Model For Patent Offices 01/12/2008 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch A pilot patent peer review system in the United States could serve as a model for patent offices around the globe. New York Law School, in cooperation with the US Patent and Trademark Office, is in its second year of Peer To Patent, an innovative initiative that opens the patent examination process to public participation. The online system allows the public to supply prior art to assess the claims of pending patent applications. The goal is to provide patent examiners with as much information as possible, and ultimately increase the quality of approved patents.