Canada’s Anti-Counterfeiting Chargeback Project: Paying Back Deceived Consumers 12/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A Canadian initiative to fight online counterfeiting and piracy that enables deceived consumers to get their money back is yielding results, a Canadian official said last week. Project Chargeback means to cut the profit margin of counterfeiters on the internet, and supplement legal recourse for right holders.
Global Brand Offers Window Into Africa’s Intellectual Property Rights 09/09/2016 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa — For 30 years, Nandos, a South African, Portuguese-themed eatery, has made its brand, poking fun at politicians, laughing at the madcaps of society, throwing innuendos with joyful abandon and filling tummies with peri-peri chicken.
ITU Capacity-Building Symposium Discusses Internet Governance, Collaboration 09/09/2016 by Justus Wanzala for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — Strong linkages and structured collaborative initiatives between the academia and industry in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector are key to enhancing capacity building in rapidly growing sector across the globe, a United Nations-led event here this week has said.
Hyperlinks Can Infringe Copyright If Commercial, European High Court Says 08/09/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A hyperlink on a website that links to copyrighted material and does not have the rights holder’s consent may be allowable if for non-commercial purposes, the Court of Justice of the European Union said today. But it may infringe copyright if linked for profit and with knowledge of the lack of permission to link it, it said.
Two US Congressional Leaders Criticize WTO For Stance On Trade Remedy, Food Safety Measures 08/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment From a press release issued today: “House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) today sent a letter to World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, criticizing the WTO Secretariat’s stance on measures it views as protectionist, and urging the office to better support the rules-based global trading system.”
US Copyright Office Charged With Industry Bias 08/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Copyright Office systematically hires officials from the copyright industries it serves and oversees, while excluding experts with other views, a public interest group has charged. Image Credits: US Copyright Office
How Will Brexit Process Resolve Japan’s Concerns About IP In The UK? 08/09/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Japan’s worries about how intellectual property registered in the EU by companies operating in the United Kingdom will fare after Brexit are potentially valid but depend on how the UK’s exit from the EU is handled, according to a UK IP attorney following the issue. One question will be whether, and how, EU trademarks and designs can be re-registered in the UK.
Specialized IP Courts: Recognizing Country-Specific Needs Is Complex 08/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In light of the growing global “innovation market” and the rapid development of technologies, countries have reviewed and modernised their judicial systems to address the increase in intellectual property issues. Notably, the establishment of specialized IP courts has been a prominent feature of judicial mechanisms to resolve IP disputes.
WIPO Enforcement Committee To Discuss National Experiences In 2017 08/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The enforcement of intellectual property rights – how they are enforced and by whom – is left to countries’ discretion. Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on enforcement shared experiences this week on how they raise awareness about IP, their IP enforcement policies and regimes, and capacity-building in relation to WIPO training activities. And at the end of the session, delegates decided to pursue those topics of discussion again in 2017.
Rebuttal Letter – WIPO Human Resources Report A “Whitewash” 07/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Ed Flaherty writes: Please be advised that I represent the duly elected members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Staff Council. On their behalf, I must respond to the inaccuracies contained in the article entitled: “WIPO Human Resources: All Is Harmony, Secretariat Says” published on the IP-Watch website on 29 August 2016. The HRMD report from which this article is lifted presents a whitewashed and totally unrealistic picture of the current situation at WIPO.