New ACTA Leak Details Differences, Broadening Scope 02/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new document on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) under negotiation has been circulated online. While it is unclear who it was leaked to, a copy of it is available here [pdf]. Apparently a working document from the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union to its delegations, it contains a comparative table […]
Battistelli Of France Is New EPO President 01/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Administrative Council of the Munich-based European Patent Organisation on 1 March elected Benoît Battistelli of France as next president of the European Patent Office (EPO), starting on 1 July. Battistelli is director general of the French National Institute of Industrial Property. He will succeed Alison Brimelow of the United Kingdom, and will serve a […]
OECD Official Joins WIPO Economics Team 26/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, formerly an economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Directorate for Science, Technology, and Industry, has joined the World Intellectual Property Organization as a senior economic officer under its chief economist Carsten Fink. Wunsch-Vincent has a background in intellectual property issues, and at the OECD was in charge of innovation […]
EPO In Another Attempt To Elect President 26/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Patent Office will hold another extraordinary meeting on Monday to try and elect a replacement for outgoing president Alison Brimelow. The 1 March election will be the fourth attempt for one of the candidates to get the required three quarter majority needed to win the seat. Previous elections were held in February, December, […]
Tentative Agreement On US Patent Reform, Says Senator 25/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (Democrat, Vermont) today announced at an “executive business meeting” that a “tentative agreement” had been reached on patent reform legislation. The original intent of the reform, Leahy said, was to “improve patent quality” and “address runaway damage awards that were harming innovation.” He added, “we are close to a […]
European Commission Gets Tough Treatment From Parliament Over ACTA 25/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch In a written declaration presented 24 February, members of the Liberal Party Group (ALDE), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and the European People’s Party (EPP) requested the European Commission immediately make all documents related to the ongoing negotiations of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) publicly […]
ACTA Internet Document Leaked, New EU Transparency Call 23/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A new leaked document from the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations confirms earlier statements by officials that the agreement does not include mandatory internet cut-off for accused copyright infringers. Yet versions of the so-called “three strikes and you’re out” model have passed in France, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. And the leaked document, allegedly […]
Decision On Google Books Must Wait 20/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Whether a settlement offered to authors whose works are being scanned into a Google database will be accepted or not must wait for the presiding judge, Denny Chin, to sort through volumes of material whose presentation began Thursday, according to news sources. The US Department of Justice said in a filing two weeks ago to […]
New US IP Task Force To Combat IP “Crimes” 12/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new United States Department of Justice task force casts enforcement against IP violations as a matter of public protection, and will be dedicated to opposing these IP “crimes.” “The rise in intellectual property crime in the United States and abroad threatens not only our public safety but also our economic wellbeing,” said US Attorney […]
India Blocks GM Crop On Safety Concerns 12/02/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment India this week placed a moratorium on the release of Bt-brinjal, a genetically modified eggplant, until independent scientific studies can establish the long-term impact on human health, environment, and biodiversity. According to the 9 February decision [pdf] by Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, in intense consultations, “opinions were sought from a number of scientists both […]