Standards Body Weighs Microsoft’s Competing Format For Document Sharing 27/02/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Kaitlin Mara Public and private-sector representatives from thirty-seven nations are in Geneva this week for a five-day closed-door meeting to try to resolve editing suggestions on a recently proposed document format that if accepted as a standard could impact file-sharing worldwide. At issue is what has become a hotly contested fight over a proposed […]
Record Patent Filings Keep WIPO Revenues High; Audit, Budget Meetings Loom 22/02/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The World Intellectual Property Organization may see significant revenues from its record high patent filings and it may be nearing agreement on a new budget designating how to spend it. WIPO’s Audit Committee is meeting this week, addressing concerns about oversight, staffing and new construction, and the General Assembly will be reconvened […]
European Carmakers Use Home Courts To Block Alleged Chinese Copies 20/02/2008 by Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch European carmakers are turning to European courts to urge enforcement of their intellectual property rights against Chinese firms, and they have a good chance of prevailing, legal experts say. At issue are car models that European manufacturers Daimler, BMW, and Fiat say are made-in-China replicas of their models.
India Considers Compulsory Licences For Exportation Of Drugs 20/02/2008 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch The Indian government will consider whether it should grant permission for patented drugs to be manufactured and exported without the consent of the patent owners at a hearing scheduled for the last week of February. If the government agrees to the application, it would be the first time […]
Are major public health donors overly influencing the scope and diversity of scientific research? 18/02/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments
Officials Outline International Organisations’ IP Enforcement Policies 18/02/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara and William New Officials from key international organisations on Friday outlined efforts to develop policies intended to prevent the spread of pirated and counterfeit goods. The officials were joined by representatives of law firms and international companies such as online auction service eBay, which described efforts to save its business model as […]
Interview With Geoff Tansey, Co-Editor, The Future Control Of Food 15/02/2008 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Geoff Tansey, a leading intellectual property and agriculture researcher and co-founder of the academic journal Food Policy, co-edited a new book examining a rarely-explored side of intellectual property legislation: its effects on access to food. The book, The Future Control of Food: A Guide to International Negotiations And Rules On Intellectual Property, Biodiversity And Food […]
European Commission Seeks Copyright Extension, New Levy Debate 14/02/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch In a flurry of intellectual property-related activity Thursday, the European Commission proposed extending copyright protection for performers from 50 to 95 years, resurrected debate on the contentious issue of copyright levies on blank media, and ranked member states on their innovativeness. At a Brussels press conference, Internal Market […]
15 Candidates To Vie For WIPO Director General Post 13/02/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New Fifteen top officials will compete to be the next director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, according to WIPO. Most if not all of the candidates, all but one of whom is male, have strong backgrounds in Geneva policymaking, and many would be considered WIPO insiders. Candidates range from senior WIPO […]
US Government, Copyright Industry Continue Push For Stronger Enforcement 13/02/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The United States is gaining ground in its fight against intellectual property piracy and counterfeiting, a potent interagency commission told President George Bush and the US Congress this week. Yet for every gain in IP enforcement, increasingly complex and unpredictable threats emerge, the agencies said in their 11 […]