Funds For US State Dept. Global IP Enforcement Training 11/09/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States State Department has received requested funding to operate 11 projects totalling nearly $4 million in fiscal year 2009 “combat transnational crime and promote the protection of intellectual property rights worldwide,” according to State. The funds enable US law enforcement agencies and diplomatic missions to “collaborate in the delivery of criminal enforcement training […]
Non-Commercial Groups Oppose Changes In ICANN Committee 09/09/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Structural reforms within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that altered the representation of non-commercial interests of internet users in ICANN policy development are “seriously flawed,” according to the body’s non-commercial users’ group. ICANN is the non-profit body that provides technical coordination of the internet. An open letter, available here, was sent […]
USPTO-Pfizer Workshop On IP & Innovation In Mumbai 04/09/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office is teaming up with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer to hold a workshop in Mumbai, India on 9 September on “intellectual property and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.” Presentations at the non-governmental session will include Dominic Keating of the US embassy in New Delhi speaking on “incremental innovation and […]
Open Source Textbook Service Sees Interest Jump 28/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A United States publisher of open source college textbooks – licensed under Creative Commons and fully remixable – has seen interest in its service increase more than 30-fold in the past several months, according to a press release [pdf] by the company. Flat World Knowledge aims to reduce the cost of textbooks for university students […]
Law Professors Debate Bilski 19/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A potentially paradigm-shifting legal case that could restrict the granting of business method patents in the United States, Bilski v. Doll has attracted the attention of policy makers world-wide, who expect its outcome to influence the international patent system (IPW, US Policy, 31 July 2009). At issue in the case is whether or not a […]
WTO Panel Rules China Must Open To Foreign Content 13/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A World Trade Organization panel has found China has not respected some international trade obligations in a dispute brought by the United States alleging unfair treatment by China of US publications and audiovisual products, the WTO said on 12 August. According to the decision, China has acted inconsistently with provisions of its WTO Accession Protocol, […]
Congress Members Seek Permanent ICANN-US Link 05/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A group of US congressional members have sent a letter to US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke calling for a temporary arrangement between the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (which manages technical aspects of the internet domain name system) to be made permanent. The joint project agreement between […]
IP Dispute Could Threaten Skype 01/08/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Online auction site eBay, the owner of popular, proprietary voice-over-internet protocol software Skype, has warned that the service might not continue if it loses an intellectual property dispute with Joltid, the company from which it licences Skype’s core technology. “If Skype was to lose the right to use the Joltid software as the result of […]
Webcast: Senate Hearing On USPTO Director Kappos 29/07/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing to consider the nomination of David J. Kappos to be the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office. The hearing is being held on Wednesday, 29 July, at 10h00 am in Washington, DC (16h00 Geneva time), and will […]
Being Sued By The RIAA 28/07/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Joel Tenenbaum, who is involved in a high-profile challenge of the music industry’s suit against him on the charge of unauthorised sharing of music, has written an editorial about his experiences of intimidation tactics. It is available from the Guardian here. His case is profiled here (IPW, Copyright, 7 April 2009).