ITU: More Transparency On World Conference On Telecommunications? 04/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today announced it would start publishing briefing papers on the issues surrounding the revision of the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) and explain the “processes as well participation rights and opportunities to comment.”
ICANN To Reveal New Internet Domain Applications In Mid-June 01/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the domain name system technical oversight body, will shortly make public the list of applied for new domains.
US: New Battle Brewing At ITU Will ‘Determine The Future Of The Internet’ 01/06/2012 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The United States stands united in its opposition to any international proposal to regulate the internet or to expand the jurisdiction of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) over the Web, US officials said on 31 May.
Governments, WHO, Reveal Industry’s Back-Channel Battle Against Tobacco Legislation 30/05/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The shadow of the tobacco industry was present at last week’s annual World Health Assembly, featuring the villain in what World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan called a theatre of the absurd. The tactics of the “evil industry,” as she called it, aimed at undermining countries’ efforts to implement tobacco control legislations were illustrated with concrete country examples at a side event during the week.
Golden Oldies? South African High Court Looks At What Is “Traditional” 29/05/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The question of the use of material in the public domain for the inspiration of new works has been complicated in South Africa by legislation which purports to grant retrospective perpetual protection to so-called “traditional works”. A case pending in the South African High Court highlights the question of what is “traditional” and raises the question of to whom music companies will have to look in the future to obtain permission to use anything that smacks of a traditional flavour. Prof. Owen Dean asks: Could this be a disincentive to use traditional material belonging in the public domain and thus slow cultural expression?
World Health Assembly: Members Gavel New Mechanism To Fight Poor-Quality Medicines 26/05/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Health Organization member states have decided to establish a new mechanism for international collaboration to prevent and control “substandard, spurious, falsely-labelled, falsified and counterfeit medical products” (SSFFC). Excluding trade and intellectual property considerations, this mechanism is called to approach the problem strictly from a public health perspective.
US, China To Hold Landmark Intellectual Property Adjudication Meeting 24/05/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States and China will hold early next week what is becoming the largest bilateral programme between their courts in the area of intellectual property adjudication. Set to gather more than a thousand participants, the discussions will largely revolve around patent litigation, according to a top US judge.
At WSIS Forum, Divisions Arise Over Future Of Internet Governance 19/05/2012 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2012 was hailed as a success at its closing ceremony today by the secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Yet sharp debates about the reluctance of the UN to hire an executive secretary for the Internet Governance Forum, the reluctance of the ITU to allow the global public to see and contribute to the coming International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR), and the need for a new UN platform for enhanced cooperation clearly illustrated that the global internet governance ship is cruising through rough seas.
US Legal Academics Call For Congressional Review Of ACTA 18/05/2012 by Nancy Situ for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An open letter was sent yesterday from 50 American legal academics encouraging members of the United States Senate Finance Committee to exercise their Constitutional responsibility to ensure that the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is treated as a binding international agreement requiring legislative ratification and sent to Senate for approval.
South Africa Hopes New Bill Brings Traditional Knowledge Protection 17/05/2012 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill currently in the in-tray of South African President Jacob Zuma and awaiting a signature, holds the hope that it will finally pave the way for the protection of the country’s most famous red tea, Rooibos, as well as other local staples.