WIPO Seeks To Open New Offices Around The World 09/07/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The UN World Intellectual Property Organization is proposing to open five new regional offices around the world next year, with more envisioned in the future. In a move it says is in response to requests from its members, WIPO aims to open offices in China, Russia, the United States and two in unnamed African countries. And doing so will help defend the global intellectual property system from cyber attacks by the likes of Anonymous, it says.
Happy Birthday To You, Copyrighted 04/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Prof. Owen Dean writes: Warner/Chappel Music, a music publishing company in the United States of America, claims and exerts copyright in the ubiquitous song “Happy Birthday to You”. It requires that royalty payments should be made to it each and every time this song is sung or used in public. This is a startling proposition as most people probably assume that the song is in the public domain and is free for use by all. An American documentary film maker agrees and is objecting to having to pay royalties to include the song in a film. It has consequently commenced legal proceedings before the US court seeking a declaration that the song is out of copyright and in the public domain. These court proceeding are currently attracting attention world-wide due to their somewhat bizarre nature. Meanwhile, under a bill in South Africa, celebrants of birthdays who do not obtain the necessary licence for singing “Happy Birthday” may in future bring the full wrath of the law down upon themselves through their unlawful conduct. Moreover, this situation could prevail in perpetuity.
Crowdfunded Contest: What Should Future Of Copyright Law Look Like? 03/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The Modern Poland Foundation, a non-profit and access to knowledge advocate, is asking people around the globe to participate in a crowdfunded contest that poses the question: What should a good copyright system look like?
German Parliament Passes Changes To National Copyright Law 02/07/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The German Parliament on 27-28 June passed several changes to German copyright law and introduced limits and a financial cap on how much lawyers can charge for notices against file-sharers.
Global Innovation Index: Most Innovative Keep Top Spots 01/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch and Caitlin McGivern for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Innovation is a main focus of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) substantive session taking place in Geneva this week. Today, at the ECOSOC opening session, the 2013 Global Innovation Index (GII) was launched, which ranked Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States as the top five most innovative countries in the world.
How The Main Issues Of The Marrakesh Treaty For The Blind Were Solved In The Nick Of Time 01/07/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments It is no secret that the negotiations were arduous leading up to the Marrakesh treaty on exceptions and limitations to copyright for the blind, to the point where there were doubts halfway through the 17-28 June diplomatic conference that consensus could be reached. Unanimous credit was given to the facilitator of informal discussions between parties, Martin Moscoso, director of the Copyright Office of Peru (INDECOPI). During the week, tensions were high, as some contentious issues were still unresolved. Intellectual Property Watch asked Moscoso what tipped the balance between a text with a large number of open issues to a clean text with no brackets.
Over 50 Countries Sign Marrakesh Treaty On Copyright Exceptions And Limitations For The Blind 01/07/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Marrakesh, Morocco – The 28 June signing of the new international treaty to improve access to published materials for the visually impaired brought relief to the beneficiaries and satisfaction to delegations. But some underlined the need to sign and ratify the new treaty.
UN Economic And Social Council To Address IP’s Role In Innovation, Tech 28/06/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The annual four-week session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a key coordinating body responsible for 70 per cent of spending across the UN system, opens next week with high-level political figures addressing intellectual property rights and innovation.
Stevie Wonder In Marrakesh: Today Is A Very Good Day, Now Go Ratify The Treaty! 28/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Marrakesh, Morocco – True to what he said in a 21 June video message, world-famous blind songwriter and performer Stevie Wonder kept his promise to come to Marrakesh if delegates agreed on a treaty to improve access to published material for blind people.
In Aftermath Of Treaty Adoption, Civil Society, Industry Reflect On Outcome 28/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hours after the adoption of the World Intellectual Property Organization Marrakesh treaty expected to facilitate access to special format books for visually impaired people, a range of stakeholders gathered for a stocktaking exercise on the treaty.