The World Is Going Flat(-Rate) 11/05/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 34 Comments A new study shows a copyright exception for legalising file-sharing is feasible, as a cease-fire in the “war on copying” emerges. A new social contract between creatives and society is needed, says media sociologist Volker Grassmuck.
Golan Case May Put US In Violation Of International Copyright Treaties 08/05/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A United States federal court recently gave some bad news to the US government and many foreign copyright owners – including the estates of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Dmitry Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky. The court struck down a US statute which had restored copyright protection to the works of these foreign authors. By limiting copyright restoration, the ruling might prevent the US from fulfilling its obligations under the Berne Convention and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Panel: Public Domain Fosters Innovation, More Limitations & Exceptions Needed 08/05/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The public domain is key to the promotion of innovation and should be fostered, but international intellectual property policies may hinder that process, said speakers at a side event to the last week’s meeting of the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property. Limitations and exceptions to copyright should be expanded and made mandatory, policymaking should be based on evidence and the public domain should be clearly defined and listed internationally, they said.
WIPO Buzzing With Possible Names For Top Cabinet Posts 05/05/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Behind the day-to-day policy and technical work at the World Intellectual Property Organization, member governments’ lobbying of new Director General Francis Gurry to obtain top positions for national officials at WIPO has been intensive in recent weeks and is near conclusion, according to sources. Among the pack of possible names is a recent former director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, according to sources.
L’UE débat du droit d’auteur, de l’accès aux œuvres et des artistes dans le contexte de l’ère numérique 29/04/2009 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment BRUXELLES – « Le droit d’auteur devrait être aboli car il nuit à la diversité culturelle », a-t-on entendu lors d’une conférence à Bruxelles.
2009 World Telecom Policy Forum: All About The ITU Mandate 28/04/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment LISBON – The role of information and communications technology (ICTs) in boosting global economic recovery plus the greening and convergence of ICTs were made top issues of the 4th World Telecom Policy Forum (WTPF) in Lisbon held on 22-24 April.
Mixed Review Of Swedish Pirate Bay Jail Sentences 26/04/2009 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While rightsholders hailed a “landmark” recent high-profile verdict against the operators of Swedish online file-sharing site The Pirate Bay (TPB), legal and digital rights analysts say it was no surprise. While the law of secondary liability for copyright infringement is by no means settled everywhere, TPB’s attitude toward intellectual property protections means the same decision could have happened in other countries as well, they said.
EU Stakeholders Debate Copyright, Access And Artists In Digital Age 24/04/2009 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments BRUSSELS – Copyright should be abolished because it undermines cultural diversity, a Brussels conference has been told.
Enforcement The Prevailing IP Trade Policy Priority For EU, US 22/04/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights is emerging as the dominant priority in international trade policy for the European Union and United States, based on communications from trade officials and others. Stimulating innovation also has a significant role.
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.