Lessig At CERN: Scientific Knowledge Should Not Be Reserved For Academic Elite 19/04/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Free culture leader and Harvard University law professor Larry Lessig was at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) yesterday to talk about access to scientific knowledge on internet. In the symbolic place where the World Wide Web was invented and where scientists are now trying to unravel the creation of the universe, Lessig praised CERN’s open access initiative and in this temple of reasoning, said the copyright architecture was on the edge of absurdity.
Europe Creates Orphan Works Registry, Copyright ID System; Digitises EU Content 12/04/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A European Commission-backed project to identify copyright holders and define orphan works – whose copyright owners cannot be found – recently presented its results and is heading to a second phase with more partners. The project advances the European effort at digitalising content through the Europeana project, a competing project to the Google Books project.
A Special Day: WIPO’s Vision Gets A Little Fuzzy 01/04/2011 by Martin Frobisher for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a surprise and fully uncorroborated development, it appears that World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry has been named a new contributor to an illustrious IP blog. The announcement came at the same time as news that WIPO will likely embark on wishing for an annual crackdown list of global IP blogs deemed to be inadequately living up to the highest levels of intellectual property protection and decorum.
WIPO Says Cybersquatting Filings Sharply Up, Watches ICANN’s Domain Name Expansion 31/03/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Filing complaints about cybersquatting, which the World Intellectual Property Organization defines as the “abusive registration of trademarks as domain names,” is on an upward trend, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said today. Meanwhile, WIPO also launched a review of its dispute panellists.
MPAA Head Criticises China, ‘Rogue’ Websites 29/03/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A week into his new job as CEO and Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), former Senator Chris Dodd gave his “inaugural” speech salted with jabs at China and websites that carry movie content without authorisation of the rights holders.
ICANN Suggests Moving Internet From US Control 27/03/2011 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Comments on the future of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) – which makes the underlying changes to the internet – are slowly trickling in at the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), with five days to go to the end of a consultation period. In its comments, the body managing the IANA functions for the United States suggests moving control of those functions out of longstanding, singular US control.
Google, Authors, Will Need To Rethink Digital Book Settlement 23/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Google’s efforts to resolve questions of copyright infringement in its digital library project did not yield the hoped-for result as a district court judge yesterday rejected the agreement. But the judge left open the possibility that the parties could come back again with revisions.
Tech Industry Blasts Obama Administration, Says Legitimate Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts Being ‘Hijacked’ 17/03/2011 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Legitimate efforts in the United States to address counterfeiting problems have been “hijacked” to benefit rights holders who should protect their own interests and change their business models, the Computer & Communications Industry Association has said.
US IP Enforcement Ambitions In Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement Stir Reactions 16/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An alleged official document leaked last week showed that the United States is taking the lead in escalating intellectual property rights enforcement in negotiations for a regional trade agreement among countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. But there may be some concern about IP protection going beyond existing international trade obligations.
White House Issues Proposals For IP Legislation 15/03/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Obama administration today issued a series of recommended legislative changes to further beef up domestic intellectual property rights protection, including boosting criminal punishment of pharmaceutical counterfeiters and those engaged in “economic espionage,” increasing wiretapping, making infringing online streaming a felony, and giving more powers to customs officials.