WIPO Extraordinary General Assembly To Meet On 10-12 December 04/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization has scheduled an Extraordinary General Assembly from 10-12 December, in order to complete unfinished work from the annual WIPO General Assembly in September.
UK Implements Copyright Term Extension From 50 to 70 Years 04/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United Kingdom has announced the implementation of new rules that extend the term of copyright for sound recordings and performers rights in such recordings from 50 to 70 years.
Industry Groups Urge Congress To Boost Arsenal Against Patent Trolls 02/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A growing list of US industries has sent a letter to the leaders of the US House of Representatives and Senate judiciary committees urging them to combat patent assertion entities (PAEs), also known as patent trolls.
Flurry Of TPP Negotiating Meetings Underway 01/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement have undertaken an intensive series of negotiating meetings on specific topics over the coming month, ending with a meeting of chief negotiators and key experts in late November.
Industry Questions Canadian Courts’ Overturning Of Patents 31/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a new blog post, Michelle Wein, research analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, criticises a series of decisions by the Canadian courts overturning certain patents based on a re-evaluation of the usefulness criterion that a patent must meet. She argues that this trend reduces the effectiveness of the international patent system, inhibits innovation and reduces the distribution of life-saving medications.
USTR Froman: FTAs A Way To Get Higher IP Standards Into Global Trade “Bloodstream” 31/10/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment United States Trade Representative Michael Froman today said that bilateral and regional agreements offer a way to get higher standards in areas such as intellectual property rights protection “into the bloodstream” of the global trading system, when it is not possible to do it through multilateral agreements.
New Trans-Pacific Partnership Caucus In US Congress 30/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments A new caucus of supporters of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement under negotiation was launched yesterday in the US Congress.
Farmers’ Groups Warn ARIPO About Implementing UPOV 91 In Africa 30/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A collective civil society group has raised concerns about a draft Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) plant variety protection law, which is based on the 1991 version of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The draft law, which may come up for adoption in November, would criminalise farmers’ rights and undermine the seed systems in Africa, they said.
Farmers’ Rights At Heart Of Plant Breeding IP Debate; UPOV Ponders New Members, Communication Strategy 29/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The international organisation providing and promoting intellectual property protection for new plant varieties held the annual meeting of its governing body last week. New member requests were examined while civil society warned against a draft African legal framework on plant variety protection that they said could impact the dominant subsistence farming systems in some African states.
US Film Industry Gives USTR List Of Biggest IP Infringers 28/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Motion Picture Association of America has provided a list to the US Trade Representative’s office of the global websites and other sources the US film group says are the most copyright-infringing in the world.