Mixed Reactions Among Participants In WIPO Talks On Treaty For The Blind 22/04/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments At the close of this week’s negotiating session for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for blind and visually impaired persons, some governments, including upcoming host Morocco, expressed disappointment in the outcome of a three-day drafting session, as it left so much for the diplomatic conference. But most said they are optimistic that solutions can be found.
WIPO Members Send Draft Treaty For The Blind To Marrakesh 22/04/2013 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization have completed work on a draft treaty on copyright exceptions for the blind and visually impaired and agreed to move to a diplomatic conference in Morocco in June. But the text contains many areas displaying the difficulty in easing cross-border access to materials for blind people while protecting copyright holders’ interests.
German Parliament Sends Message: Stop Granting Software Patents 22/04/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The German Parliament has passed a joint motion against the growing trend of patent offices to grant patents on software programs. The resolution on “Secure Competition and Innovation in the software development,” obliges the German government to take steps to ensure that software is protected by copyright only and no additional patent protection is granted.
In UN Talks On Treaty For The Blind, Concern About Heavy Focus On Rightholders’ Interests 20/04/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The treaty currently being discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organization is of prime importance for blind and visually impaired people who are expecting that negotiators will engineer a treaty that is workable in the real world, they say. But too much focus on the right holders concerns might endanger the utility of such a treaty, according to the representative of a blind persons’ organisation.
Time Ticking For WIPO Delegates On Copyright Exceptions Treaty 19/04/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new text has been the subject of negotiation today by a committee seeking to finalise a draft treaty providing exceptions and limitations to copyrights so that blind and visually impaired people have facilitated access to special format books. Delegates are seeking to find language through agreed statements as a way out of prickly issues.
UN Economic Commission For Europe Looks At Innovation 19/04/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Last week’s event on the “the role of innovation in creating a dynamic and competitive economy,” held at the 65th session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), gave an opportunity to a panel of experts to discuss the role of innovation in the current European economic circumstances as a tool to improve productivity and competitiveness by different means.
ISOC, IETF Promote Open Standardisation, Consider What’s “Open”? 19/04/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Berlin – Open standardisation processes, their problems and their value for economy and society were the subject of discussion at a conference on 17 April at the German Ministry of Economy and Technology in Berlin.
US Digital Public Library Launches Free Online Access 18/04/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) has launched a beta version of its website today, which aims to offer free public access to content of all libraries, universities, and museums in the United States.
Last Drafting Effort On WIPO Treaty For The Blind Before Diplomatic Conference 17/04/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments In an effort to clean up a draft treaty text providing limitations and exceptions to copyright for blind and visually impaired persons, World Intellectual Property Organization members will meet this week for intense drafting sessions. The text, once cleaned, is expected to be sent to a top-level treaty negotiation in June.
Greek Gene Bank’s Struggle Indicative Of Changing Times 17/04/2013 by Paraskevi Kollia for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Gene banks holding plant genetic material worldwide play a crucial role for future agricultural practices and research and development in the field, especially as people rediscover the importance of their dependence on the land due to the financial situation. The present financial crisis may generate opportunities and losses. This can be illustrated by the Gene Bank of Greece, an institution traditionally rich in genetic material and of global interest.