Rest Of Europe About To Yield To HADOPI’s Siren Song? 03/11/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Concerns are rising among activists about the impending spread to the rest of Europe of French HADOPI-like legislations punishing alleged copyright infringers on the internet with a suspension of internet connection after three alleged violations (“three strikes”). The Conciliation Committee delegation of the European Parliament is expected to meet on 4 November to discuss a […]
Canada Finds Patents No Help For Poorest In Need Of Medicine 02/11/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments [Editor’s Note on 3 November: the report appears to be restricted access] Canada’s National Bureau of Economic Research today released a report on the relationship between patent protection for pharmaceuticals and investment in development of new drugs since the negotiation of the 1994 World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). […]
European Commission Paper On Single Market For Creative Content 22/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Commission on 22 October published a “reflection paper,” available here (pdf), highlighting the challenges of creating a European digital single market for creative content, according to a press release. The paper was released at the same time as a study published by two European consulting firms and the Institute for Information Law at […]
US Industry View: Can Content Survive Online? (Podcast) 21/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A forum called the Intellectual Property Colloquium has posted an open-access podcast of a discussion about online business models with Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, Scott Martin, executive vice president of Paramount Pictures, and Dan Cooper, vice president of business and legal affairs at MySpace. The discussion is hosted by Doug Lichtman, professor at the […]
European Commission Communication On Copyright Online 21/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Commission on 19 October published a communication on copyright in the knowledge economy that sets out the plan for changes in European copyright over the coming month and in 2010. Three issues the Directorate General Internal Market and Directorate General Information Society want to tackle are: preparation of a EU-wide legal instrument on […]
Spurring Local Innovation In Africa By Improving Access To Information 19/10/2009 by Robinson Esalimba for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 1 Comment Greater awareness of the existence of open access information resources for innovation and making the information easily accessible and relevant to developing country users could help spur innovation in these countries, according to top technical assistance providers and local innovators.
German Internet Blocking Bill Suspension 18/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a “turn back the clock” action, the German Liberal Party (FDP) – which is negotiating with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Party (CDU) on the programme of the coalition government – is pushing a suspension of the blocking bill some feared would hamper information flow on the internet. The much debated bill, passed earlier […]
WIPO Members Step Up To Implement Development Agenda 15/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 1 Comment World Intellectual Property Organisation members are preparing to take the reins of the Development Agenda as it becomes clear that implementation success will depend on their actions. And their actions must not only be focused on specific projects such as patent databases but also on the broader spirit of the agenda for change at WIPO, key developing countries said.
Development Agenda Conference: WIPO Can Enable Fair Technology Transfer 13/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment Development is to be a lead priority in the World Intellectual Property Organization, with the 2007 Development Agenda under implementation. But what a development-friendly intellectual property programme will look like in practice is not yet entirely clear. On 13-14 October at WIPO, stakeholders are gathered to discuss examples of development and IP and projects implementing the agenda.
Sarkozy Government Allegedly Caught Red-Handed Infringing DVD Copyrights 13/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While the French Constitutional Council is considering the constitutionality of the rabble-rouser HADOPI 2 law (IPW, Coopyright policy, 2 October 2009), pushed by the French government to authorise legal authorities to suspend internet access of alleged copyright infringers, French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s services allegedly made 400 unauthorised copies of a DVD over the summer. The […]