Treaty Negotiators Turn To “ACTA Lite” In Hopes Of Closure 08/09/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Everyone you ask this week about the Anti-Counterfeiting Agreement (ACTA) tells you that they’re just about to work their way through the new draft version to understand the implications of changes made during the recent negotiation round in Washington, DC. Massive changes to the text have been revealed by yet another leak of the draft treaty text being negotiated by 10 countries and the EU 27 member states.
Lack Of Transparency In EU-India FTA Talks Spurs Requests For Halt 03/09/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments European and Indian business not only have privileged access to information on the planned EU-India free trade agreement, they even set the agenda for this negotiation from the start. That is the conclusion of a study by the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and India FDI Watch published this week in Brussels and Delhi. Both organisations intend to appeal directly to the European Commission and the Indian government to stop negotiations as long as there is no access to negotiating positions and documents for all affected parties.
US Looking For New Tack On IP Rights With BRIC Countries 03/09/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Developed countries are looking for ways to address the ongoing lack of intellectual property enforcement and efforts to bypass international trade obligations in the four biggest emerging global economies, as well as emulation of this behaviour by other emerging economies in particular as the four countries have a stronger voice in international fora, a panel of United States trade experts said this week.
Key Committee Debates Changes In WIPO Performance, Spending 01/09/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment The powerful World Intellectual Property Organization Program and Budget Committee is meeting this week for three days of discussions on a new strategic plan, the status of its audit function in the aftermath of past financial mismanagement, the financing of new projects related to the Development Agenda, and new policies on WIPO financial reserves, languages and investments.
The Relationship Between IP, Technology Transfer, and Development 30/08/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments An analysis of practices and policies involving intellectual property, technology transfer and development shows the difficulties of achieving a positive correlation between those areas, writes Cheikh Kane.
Rights Holders Launch Initiative To Protect Content In Africa 26/08/2010 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Foreign content producers and broadcasters hope the soon-to-be-launched Africa Media Rights Watch will help convince the region’s regulators and consumers alike to increase respect for copyright.
Proposed WIPO Strategic Plan Shows Positioning For Uncertain Future 16/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The importance of knowledge is increasing at a rate faster than patent offices can keep up with the demands of new inventors, reads the introduction to a proposed six-year strategic plan of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Creators and manufacturers of knowledge products are rapidly diversifying geographically, new innovation models are arising, and new demands are being placed on protected works for use in technology transfer or for shared global needs such as environmental sustainability or public health.
中国防火长城：网络审查何时会违反世贸组织规则？ 02/08/2010 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment 中国政府认为自己的行动符合其公民的最佳利益。它正在规范互联网，以保护其人民不受色情和其他令人生厌内容的危害。然而，批评者声称，中国大幅限制大陆居民可以网上观看、听闻和言论的东西，因此犯了审查过分之过。
The Great Firewall of China: When Does Online Censorship Violate WTO Rules? 28/07/2010 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments China’s government says it is acting in the best interests of its citizens. It is regulating the internet in order to protect its people from pornography and other objectionable content. Critics, however, assert that China is guilty of wide-ranging censorship, drastically limiting what mainland residents can see, hear and say online. Moreover, according to a growing chorus, this online censorship violates World Trade Organization rules.
Review Of US Digital Millennium Copyright Act Brings New Exemptions 27/07/2010 by Leslee Friedman for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The United States Copyright Office this week completed its statutorily required review of the landmark Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Included in the ruling were three major exemptions: a renewal on the exemption for cell-phone unlocking, a new exemption for the jailbreaking of smart phones technology, and the use of visual media clips for transformative, non-commercial works. The ruling has resulted in a flood of optimism from a wide variety of non-governmental groups.