The Music Process – Between New Business Models And Lawsuits 28/11/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Pedro Paranaguá. The traditional business model of the phonographic industry is being left behind by the competitiveness of new technologies. The technological world is evolving, but some businesses are struggling as they are not adapting themselves to the ever-increasing changes. Trying not to be left behind, the phonographic industry has preferred to use the […]
A Call To Universities To Help Increase Global Medicines Access 15/11/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Rodrigo Cerda In the intellectual environment of universities, we have long discussed the tragic loss of life that occurs daily because sick people around the world cannot afford the drugs that could cure them. Indeed, we have reason to be worried: ten million people each year die from diseases that are treatable with existing […]
WIPO At The Internet Governance Forum: DRMs, Access To Information, And Flexibilities 07/11/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the recent UN Internet Governance Forum in Athens, a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) representative said there is a “new emphasis on limitations and exceptions to copyright and user rights in areas such as freedom of expression and access to information.” But there is a need to promote interoperability of technology standards in areas […]
Are Plant Biotech Companies Misusing The Patent Law? 05/10/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Niels Louwaars writes: Biotech companies, particularly those based in the United States consider that their patents on plant biotech inventions do not allow the use of the plants containing the invention as a source for further breeding, even if the invention has been eliminated in the plant variety resulting from this use. The reach of […]
Could An Ancient Remedy Solve The Contemporary Debate Over Europe’s Patent System? 03/10/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Perhaps the biggest lobbying effort in the history of the European Union came in the 2005 fight to change the European patent system to include computer-related inventions, which ended in failure. Now, industry lobbyists are looking for new ways to address the problems of the patent system as they see it. Zuck writes: After the […]
Interview With Gilberto Gil, Brazil’s Culture Minister 27/09/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Gilberto Gil, an internationally acclaimed musician and songwriter since the 1960s, is Brazil’s Minister of Culture. Educated in his native state of Bahia, Gil has lived and travelled extensively abroad and speaks four languages fluently. He reflects the Brazilian government’s position of caution about the rapid rise of intellectual property rights policy and protection globally, […]
Should The Developing World Copy To ‘Catch Up’ With Developed Countries? 26/09/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Naana E. K. Amonoo – LL.B, LL.M (I.P). It is forbidden in the intellectual property world to condone anything to do with copying without the owner’s permission. It is of course understood that the hard work of any IP owner ought to be rewarded and acknowledged. No one is disputing that fact. However, it […]
The Nexus Of Cultural Heritage And Intellectual Property 21/09/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Molly Torsen Over the past several decades, scholarship on the nexus between cultural heritage and intellectual property law has alternately garnered keen international attention or remained stagnant. Those jurisdictions that have a greater interest in protecting their heritage – perhaps because of its cultural importance or because of a history of misappropriation – through […]
Egypt Seminar Highlights Copyright Laws’ Impact On Library Access 14/09/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Concern is high over the impact on the global public’s access to knowledge of increasing copyright restrictions on that knowledge. Scientists, academics, publishers and others at a September seminar in Alexandria, Egypt discussed how to ensure proper balance between rights and access. Martin Watson of the Quakers United Nations Office participated in the seminar. Martin […]
Time To Rethink TRIPS? 10/08/2006 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the aftermath of the late July collapse of the Doha Development Round negotiations at the World Trade Organization, some are looking for reasons and next steps. Much focus has been placed on the agriculture stalemate, but intellectual property issues also are a factor, especially for developing countries struggling with the 1994 WTO Agreement on […]