Intellectual Property Strategy: A Wise Man’s Guide 05/04/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A recently published book by Harvard Law School Professor John Palfrey offers a thoughtful and useful handbook for executives or just about anyone else to better understand and use intellectual property, in ways that encourage sharing and openness.
‘Counterfeit’ Dropped From New WHO Protocol On Illicit Tobacco Trade 04/04/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new treaty protocol against illicit trade in tobacco products struck today at the World Health Organization saw a late-stage decision to strip out references to “counterfeit” products from the text, according to sources.
EU Copyright Levy Debate Rekindled; UK Needs Better Licensing, Study Finds 04/04/2012 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Stalled talks on Europe’s broken system of private copying levies resumed on 2 April, with European Commission-appointed mediator António Vitorino laying out his goals and urging parties to move beyond their entrenched positions. Meanwhile, a report for rights owners found that abolishing levies will hurt them as well as device makers and, possibly, consumers. And in another copyright-related development, a UK government study identified problems with the country’s copyright licensing regime.
External Review Of WIPO Technical Assistance Stirs Debate 03/04/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization are quietly but heatedly discussing how to address an external review of WIPO technical assistance in the lead-up to the next Committee on Development and IP (CDIP) meeting, according to sources. And some are watchful that there not be an effort to bury the substantive and at-times critical review, even as WIPO has issued a lengthy response to it.
US Trade Barriers Report Signals Work Ahead 02/04/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The annual US list of barriers to trade in other countries was published today, with profiles of dozens of trading partners from very large to very small.
Second Annual US IP Enforcement Report Shows Extensive Efforts At Home And Abroad 02/04/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The second annual report of the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) Victoria Espinel paints a picture of the United States’ multifaceted and ever-expanding war on IP infringement, at home and abroad.
European Parliament Rejects Referral Of ACTA To EU High Court 27/03/2012 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Committee of International Trade of the European Parliament today voted against referring the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
UK Parliament Group Conducts Post-Hargreaves Inquiry Into IP Policy 22/03/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The All-Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group in the United Kingdom is undertaking an inquiry into the government’s role in intellectual property (IP) promotion and protection, less than a year after the publication of an independent and comprehensive review on the UK’s IP system.
Special Report: Focus On Intermediaries’ Role Rises As Internet Matures 21/03/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment With the commercial internet now in its early twenties, stakeholders are finding themselves at a crossroads, unsure whether to allow business as usual or embrace a more regulated regime. Intellectual property, with its penchant for protection, is one of those areas where the tug-of-war is most evident, and seemingly caught in the middle are internet intermediaries.
Nigerian Courts Step Up Against Copyright Piracy: 18 Convicted 21/03/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The last year has witnessed a series of convictions of copyright pirates by the Federal High Courts in Nigeria. Information provided by Afam Ezekude, the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, the government agency responsible for copyright matters, shows that the courts have convicted copyright infringers in 18 cases within the last 5 months (October 2011 to February 2012).