US Objective For EU-US FTA: Elevate IPR Enforcement 21/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday notified the US Congress of its intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the European Union. And in case there was any doubt, among the negotiating objectives will be to raise the level of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.
European Commission VP Kroes Urges Open Internet, Prods Copyright Owners 21/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice-president responsible for the digital agenda, today told a parliamentary committee that choices of copyrighted content, cloud computing, internet freedom, and cybersecurity are key to European values and its economy.
Global Pharma Companies See Battle For Survival In Pakistan 21/03/2013 by Shahzada Irfan Ahmed for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Lahore, Pakistan – Weak regulation of the local pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, including non-enforcement of intellectual property rights and the absence of a simple and swift dispute resolution mechanism, have hit the country’s health sector badly, industry sources say.
At US-Led Workshop, African Stakeholders Call For “Home Grown IP Agenda” 20/03/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – In a re-cast, smaller version of the event that was planned and postponed last year, the US State Department’s workshop on IP utilisation and protection in Africa opened yesterday. It is co-organised by the African Intellectual Property Group (AIPG), a new pro-IP association of stakeholders across the continent, which says it’s time for Africa find its own voice on intellectual property issues.
WIPO Reports Robust Growth In Demand For IP Rights In 2012 19/03/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a press briefing at the United Nations today, World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry described what he qualified as a robust growth in applications for patents, designs and trademarks despite the economic climate.
Samsung Lawyer Assesses IP Legal Battle With Apple 19/03/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Cape Town, South Africa – Professor Charles Gielen, an insider in the epic design war between Apple and Samsung, has described the hostile standoff between the two corporate giants as a shape-shifting space for intellectual property laws following the different interpretations of IP law the case has evoked from the courts.
Nearly 50 Groups Demand IPRs Out Of EU-US FTA 18/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Upwards of 50 civil society groups have issued a declaration asking for the exclusion of all forms of intellectual property rights from the upcoming Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the United States. They raised significant concerns about the potential effect of IP rights’ inclusion on the public interest in the countries involved.
Practitioners Discuss Interconnection Between Professional Sports And IP 18/03/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A recent conference of AROPI (Association Romande de Propriété Intellectuelle), an association of intellectual property practitioners in French-speaking Switzerland, examined how sports and IP interact.
ICANN advierte a EE.UU. de no socavar el Modelo Multisectorial 18/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment La “Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers” (ICANN) ha emitido un nuevo comunicado sobre un futuro contrato con Estados Unidos para la gestión de la zona raíz y otras funciones de infraestructura de la internet, advirtiendo de que no se debe socavar el modelo multisectorial para regular las infraestructuras básicas de la internet.
African Ministers Focus On IP Role In Innovation For Development; Less On Flexibilities 18/03/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – The role of innovation as a driving force of social, economic, and environmental development is one of the central themes in post-2015 global development agenda discussions. In a ministerial-level meeting with guidance from the World Intellectual Property Organization last week, African policymakers outlined what they would need to foster innovation at home. Among a list of recommendations, ministers widely agreed on the importance of developing national intellectual property frameworks, capacity building, and raising awareness through education. Encouraging the use of IP flexibilities, however, was largely left out of the conversation.