US Patent Reform Legislation Progressing; Committee To Reconvene Next Week 26/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The committee of the United States Senate drafting legislation to reform the US patent system made little progress at a meeting Thursday, according to sources, but adopted a bipartisan amendment and scheduled to reconvene next week to continue work.
Locke Confirmed As US Commerce Secretary 25/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Gary Locke was confirmed as the United States Commerce Secretary by a unanimous vote in the Senate Tuesday evening. Locke, a former Washington state governor and the first Chinese-American to hold the post, will inherit position shaped by the global recession, but was “honoured to take on this challenge and will work every day to […]
GSK Reports On Corporate Responsibility 24/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment United Kingdom pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline on Tuesday reported on its corporate responsibility activities in 2008 and 2009, including a commitment to cutting prices on patented medicines for poor countries. GSK’s recent public announcement on access to medicines has generated some goodwill for the company though public health advocates and observers have been cautious in their […]
European Patent Office: Patent Applications Slow As Rejections Rise 21/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a trend appearing in other patent offices around the world, patent applications at the European Patent Office continued to rise in 2008, but at a slower rate toward the end of year. At the EPO, this was coupled with the lowest percentage of granted patents in its history.
WIPO, UNCITRAL Team Up On IP And Finance 20/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Officials from two lawyerly United Nations agencies met recently to discuss their roles and build cooperation in intellectual property finance, especially in light of the global economic crisis.
US Senate Approves Kirk As USTR 18/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the nomination of United States Trade Representative (USTR) designee Ron Kirk as the nation’s 16th trade representative, according to a USTR office release. As USTR, Kirk is member of President Obama’s Cabinet and serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues. Kirk, […]
Record Cybersquatting Cases As WIPO Seeks New Trademark Protections 16/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A record number of cybersquatting complaints were filed at the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2008, and the organisation is preparing for a potentially much larger set of concerns as the launch of an unknown number of new domains approaches.
World Health Organization Issues Statement On Generic Drug Seizures 13/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization on Friday issued a statement on a high-profile debate over Dutch customs authorities’ delays of shipments of legitimate generic pharmaceuticals passing through the European country on their way to patients in developing countries. The goods were apparently believed to be counterfeit medicines.
Deferred Examination: A Solution Whose Time Has Come 12/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments With over 1 million patent applications backlogged at the US Patent & Trademark Office, IBM legal counsel Steven Bennett and David Kappos urge adoption of a deferred examination process, which they argue will benefit USPTO, applicants and the public.
WIPO Faces Possible Negative Annual Income Despite Record Trademark Filings 10/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization is facing the possibility of negative income for the first time in its history, the United Nations agency’s director general said Monday. Director General Francis Gurry made the remarks during a press conference on its annual report on trademark filings at WIPO in 2008 that showed a new record high for trademark registrations but signs of a slowdown late in the year.