OECD Faces Concerns Over Its Internet Policy Principles 28/06/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A high-level meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is expected to pass a set of “principles on internet policymaking” tomorrow. But over 80 non-governmental groups have announced they will not sign on to the communiqué.
Mexican Senate Urges Rejection Of ACTA 23/06/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Mexican Senate this week approved a resolution rejecting the secretly negotiated Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, citing absence of inclusion in the negotiations, potential negative impact on internet users’ access to knowledge, freedom of expression and other concerns.
EU’s Kroes Not Amused By ICANN Decision On New TLDs 22/06/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch European Commission Vice President and Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes is not satisfied with the decision of the ICANN Board in Singapore this week to open up the domain name space for new top-level domains (TLDs) like .eco, .gay or .paris. The Commissioner was “disappointed that the ICANN […]
ICANN Board Approval Opens Internet To Many New Domains 20/06/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today approved the Applicant Guidebook for new generic top-level domains, opening the door to potentially hundreds of new internet domains, like .africa, .music, .gay or .nyc.
Plain Packaging For Tobacco Raises IPR Questions At WTO 16/06/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments At the last session of the World Trade Organization Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council, the Dominican Republic challenged an Australian draft law requiring plain packaging for tobacco products as being incompatible with its WTO obligations, eclipsing other agenda items. The TRIPS Council also addressed other regular agenda items such as related to biodiversity and public health, according to sources.
New Deputy US Trademark Commissioner 16/06/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the appointment of a new deputy commissioner for trademarks, with oversight of examination and processing of applications.
WIPO Issues Call For Papers On Evaluation Of IP And Development 09/06/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The 2007 World Intellectual Property Organization Development Agenda instituted an evaluation process at the UN agency, and now WIPO is seeking best practices for evaluating the impact of intellectual property rights on development. The WIPO Evaluation Section has issued a call for papers for a seminar to be held in October.
Pakistan: Anti-Terror Crackdown Brings IPR Relief To Mobile Phone Brands 09/06/2011 by Shahzada Irfan Ahmed for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A recent drive against the use of mobile phones without valid International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers in terrorism-struck Pakistan has given respite to established brands and authorised dealers. The proliferation of copied and smuggled cell phones in the country, with little intellectual property rights enforcement, had resulted in a decrease in their sales volumes, industry representatives said. In addition, the government is moving to restore an intellectual property law that industry thinks could help its efforts.
UN Expert: No Government Internet Restrictions For Political Reasons, IPRs 07/06/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Governments should refrain from restricting the flow of information on the internet, and the private sector should not be in charge of policing it, a United Nations adviser on freedom of opinion and expression said last week in a report. He also criticised disconnection of users on intellectual property rights grounds.
Let The WIPO Dialogues Begin! 01/06/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Negotiators at the UN World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva will have a new conference hall in which to debate in 2013, with construction starting this summer, according to a press release.