EFF: Keeping Patents Off Public Domain, Opening ACTA 18/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office has announced that it will revoke an illegitimate patent on internet subdomains that was seen as potentially threatening to the public domain. The US patent, held by a company called Hoshiko, claimed to cover the method of automatically assigning internet subdomains, like “action.eff.org” for the parent domain “eff.org.” […]
Nations Work To Make IP Systems Combat Climate Change 18/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With less than a year to complete a new global plan to combat climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is under pressure to be able to move to a decision at the end of the year. But it is in the longer-term action plans that intellectual property issues are featuring most prominently, as parties to the UNFCCC aim to satisfy the need for growth in poor countries, and to mitigate effects of growth on the environment – a move that will require effective technology transfer.
Malgré les obstacles, les pressions de la France au niveau national visant à sanctionner le piratage sur Internet font des émules 18/06/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WASHINGTON – Le 9 juin, au cours d’une conférence, la ministre française de la Culture et de la Communication, Christine Albanel, a défini la loi Création et Internet comme étant « à la fois ambitieuse et réaliste ». Selon elle, ceux qui pensent qu’Internet est une zone de non-droit « se trompent d’époque ». À l’occasion de cette conférence, des hypothèses ont également été avancées quant à la législation américaine entourant la réforme des brevets, les droits d’interprétation et d’exécution, et d’autres questions.
Media Companies Offer UK Unlimited Music … Or Else! 17/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Media giants Virgin Media and Universal Music have teamed up to create the world’s first unlimited digital download service that comes with the blessing of content owners – though only for residents of the United Kingdom. Britons using Virgin Media’s broadband to connect to the internet will soon be able to download or stream any […]
OECD Report: “Creative Destruction,” Innovation Focus Needed In Economic Crisis 16/06/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments As members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) prepare to meet for their annual ministerial meeting in Paris next week, the organisation has issued a report calling for a strategic, innovation-driven response to the economic crisis.
Talks On Traditional Knowledge And Access, Benefit-Sharing 16/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An expert body on traditional knowledge as it relates to an access and benefit-sharing regime on genetic resources began discussion Tuesday in India. They will examine the way in which proposed aspects of the regime relate to indigenous communities and the way in which they manage and protect their knowledge. The creation of an international […]
HADOPI Copyright Law To Get New Set Of Teeth With Additional Law 16/06/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The Sarkozy government will implement a law aimed at promoting legal online downloading in the coming months despite being prevented from cutting off the internet access of alleged three-time offenders, according to official sources. Meanwhile, the government has already begun preparing a new law that would restore penalties decided by a judge rather than by the newly created HADOPI commission.
UN Special Rapporteur: IP In Health Helping Those With Most Means, Less Need 16/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Nearly two billion people lack access to the medical care they need, and in the developing world those who do manage to have access are overwhelmingly paying out-of-pocket, often triggering a fall into poverty. The monopoly-making power of patents to drive the cost of medicines beyond affordability is a significant contributor to this disturbing trend, says a report of the United Nations rapporteur on the right to health presented at last week’s Human Rights Council.
WIPO Appoints New Top Officials, Readies Policies On Conflicts Of Interest, Staff Cuts 15/06/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The member governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s executive body on Monday approved a set of seven most senior officials at the organisation to join the director general late this year. Monday’s Coordination Committee meeting also will address new policies on financial disclosure and conflicts of interest among top WIPO officials, and voluntary staff departures in the face of smaller budgets.
Conseil de l’Europe : l’accès à l’internet est un droit fondamental 12/06/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment L’argument souvent utilisé par les législateurs contre la communication Internet qui veut que ce qui est valable dans l’univers physique l’est aussi en ligne a été utilisé par le Conseil de l’Europe dans une nouvelle résolution concernant les droits fondamentaux en ligne.