European Patent System, Court Top Priority Under Swedish EU Presidency 01/07/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment COPENHAGEN – A top priority for Sweden as it takes over the EU presidency on 1 July is to boost negotiations on a Community patent system and a European Patent Court, the government says. Its work programme also emphasises the need for “effective protection of intellectual property rights” and lists a conference on enforcement. Officials, however, deny that enforcement is among the presidency’s main IP focus. And the Pirate Party is concerned.
First Public University Adopts Open Access Policy 01/07/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Journal articles by professors at the University of Kansas (US) will soon be freely available online, the school reported, as it becomes the first public university in the United States to embrace an “open access” policy. The university joins ranks with Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University, which have similar policies. […]
Global Legislative Reform Could Unlock Benefits Of GIs, Advocates Say 01/07/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment TERUEL, SPAIN – Geographical indications (GIs) are in the interest of both producers and consumers as they provide a tool for sustainable economic growth and offer a guarantee of quality, concluded a high-level meeting of GI proponents last week. However, with shortcomings in the international framework and a lack of consensus on GIs, countries have been trying to find legal ways to address the issue.
WIPO Work Likely To Continue On Traditional Knowledge, But How? 30/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments An intergovernmental committee considering ways to protect kinds of knowledge that predate – and may not fit into – the current intellectual property system picked up this week after a chaotic round of negotiations failed to make any progress at the last meeting. Meanwhile, some indigenous groups, in whose traditions rest much of this knowledge, continue a push for stronger representation at the committee.
King Of Pop’s Leanings Patented 30/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In addition to writing catchy pop-tunes and executing gravity-defying dance moves, the late Michael Jackson apparently had an inventive streak. It has come to light that the singer holds a patent on shoes that help create “an impressive visual effect” in one of his famous dance moves. The patent on a “system for […]
Former US Official To Launch Networking “Platform” In Geneva 30/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Alicia Greenidge, until recently director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), plans to launch a new platform in Geneva to “build relationships between developing countries, governments, organisations and industries,” according to a press release from IFPMA[pdf]. No other details about the new project appear to be available, and Greenidge did […]
South African Authors Seek First Public Lending Right In A Developing Country 29/06/2009 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment South Africa could become the first developing country to permit authors to be paid when libraries lend their books if an authors’ group gets it way, but the proposal is likely to spur strong opposition from access-to-knowledge advocates and libraries.
WHO R&D Financing Group To Parse New Ideas, Look For Ways Forward 29/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Perhaps the single most critical issue to resolve in addressing neglected diseases is how to ensure there is money to pay for research and clinical trials, even when the consumer demand is small and its constituents poor. A group of experts under the auspices of the World Health Organization this week is attempting to address the problem.
Prevent Patents Inhibiting Knowledge Diffusion For Green Technology, EU Told 26/06/2009 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Stringent intellectual property rules could hamper the spread of technology needed to fight climate change, an advisor to European Union policy-makers has warned.
Leadership Changes At Free Software Foundation Europe 25/06/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), a high-impact nonprofit organisation focussed on access to software in the broader scope of participation in the digital society, this week named named new leadership for the first time in nearly a decade since its inception.