Ways Forward Proposed For Tech Transfer & IP At Durban Climate Talks 04/12/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments As governments meet to look for ways to progress on halting global climate change, some are suggesting more discussion is needed on the sharing of the technologies that can fight that change, and a middle ground approach has been put forward to get them there.
EU Picks Up Pace On Copyright Licensing, Private Copying, Unitary Patent 30/11/2011 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European efforts to resolve three vexing intellectual property issues – copyright licensing, private copying levies and a unified system for granting and litigating patents – are gaining pace in the public and private sectors and could bear fruit next year.
European Court Of Justice Rules Out Mandatory Filtering Systems At Intermediaries 25/11/2011 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In what is seen by many as a landmark decision, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg on Thursday ruled that an injunction obliging an internet service provider to install a filtering system to prevent peer-to-peer copyright violations on its network would violate European law.
Doha+10: MSF Asks, What’s Next For TRIPS And Health? 22/11/2011 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders), the 10th anniversary of the Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health marks an opportunity to look forward.
10 Years Of TRIPS And Public Health: An Anniversary To Celebrate? 21/11/2011 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments It has been 10 years since the World Trade Organization adopted the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. The declaration highlighting the public health aspects of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreed at the 2001 WTO ministerial conference in Doha, Qatar was considered a milestone in ensuring greater access to medicines for all.
Filtering and Blocking Closer To The Core Of The Internet? 20/11/2011 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments With protests against draft US legislation like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act ongoing and the European Parliament voting on 17 November for a resolution to request that the United States should be “refraining from unilateral measures to revoke IP addresses or domain names,” politicians are talking a lot about technology for the internet domain name system. But at the same time, engineers are getting more political and are intensively discussing technology providing the tools for blocking – by governments and private parties.
Post-Grant Oppositions Under US Patent Reform 14/11/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment On September 16, 2012, the post-grant review process in the United States will change to closely resemble the opposition procedures in Europe even down to the same nine-month window after grant to oppose. With these new changes going into effect in less than a year, it is important for practitioners to use this time to become familiar with the new procedures and processes, writes Michael Siekman.
The Mad Hatter In Wonderland: South Africa’s New TK Bill 08/11/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments So, the Department of Trade and Industry (“DTI”) has finally gone ahead and done it. It has caused the South African Government to pass the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill (the so-called “Traditional Knowledge Bill”) despite vociferous objections from all quarters. It has rushed headlong into terrain where no angel would venture through acute trepidation. It has entered Wonderland and assumed the role of the Mad Hatter, writes Professor Owen Dean.
In Egypt, Director Of Famed Library Of Alexandria Under Fire 06/11/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 42 Comments The director of the legendary Library of Alexandria, lauded in Europe in recent weeks, has come under attack from the majority of his library staff and others demanding his departure over questions of unprofessional employee practices, alleged retaliation against workers for speaking freely, and for his affiliation with the outcast Mubarak regime.
US Patent Commissioner Stoll To Retire; Deputy Focarino To Step Up 02/11/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Robert Stoll, the Commissioner for Patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), has announced his retirement on 31 December 2011. Deputy Commissioner for Patents Margaret “Peggy” Focarino will be nominated to replace him, USPTO said today.