More Time For China On DSB Ruling On IP 22/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment China repeated its position to the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body Monday that it will “need a reasonable period of time” to implement the DSB ruling that called for changes to its enforcement of intellectual property rights. The United States and the European Union respectively said they “look forward to China moving promptly” and […]
Judge Rules No Webcasts Of Tenenbaum Case 21/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Music companies suing music downloader Joel Tenenbaum of Harvard University for copyright infringement won the right to block webcasts of the court proceedings, according to a copy of the opinion available here. The case has attracted national attention for its challenge to the unpopular music industry practice of suing citizens for unauthorised content downloading. Music […]
Surprise Rejection Of French HADOPI Bill 09/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In an unexpected turn of events, the French HADOPI legislation on the diffusion and protection of works on the internet was rejected by the French National Assembly Thursday by a vote of 21 to 15. This was expected to be the final ratification of the law, already approved by the French Senate and a first […]
Detailed Summary Of Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty Released 06/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Specific topics being discussed under the secretive negotiating process of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement were revealed Monday when the office of US Trade Representative Ron Kirk released a summary of the key elements under discussion. The summary is available from the USTR website here [pdf]. The six-page document outlines legal frameworks for IP rights enforcement […]
Advocates Call For Balance In Obama IP Appointments 06/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Several recent Obama appointees selected to oversee different aspects of IP policy had immediately before their appointments represented copyright industries, says a letter signed by 19 US-based public interest groups sent to the president last week [pdf]. There is a critical need to balance the interests of authors “in the control and exploitation of their […]
Industry Urged G20 To Consider Importance Of IP 06/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Industry representatives sent a message to the Group of 20 leaders last week that intellectual property rights should be given more attention by governments and could bring benefit to the global economy if properly protected. A representative from the Confederation of British Industries said policymakers should assess the economic value of IP, IP offices should […]
Study: Blanket Licence For Non-Commercial Copies Needed 04/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A blanket licence for non-commercial copies is the logical answer to the technology revolution brought on by the internet. This is the conclusion of a study by the Institute of European Media Law commissioned by the German Green Party and presented in Berlin on 3 April. The study argues that a blanket licence would not […]
Obama And The Media-Sharing Blues 03/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Electronic Frontier Foundation has reported that Obama’s gift to the Queen of England, an iPod loaded with Broadway showtunes, may have come with some copyright questions. The issue is over where copyright law stands when music being gifted is digital. In the digital era, the concept of first sale and ownership rights is heavily […]
‘Three-Strikes’ Internet Policy Progresses In France 03/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The French National Assembly on 2 April gave initial approval without changes to a restrictive draft law on the diffusion and protection of works on the internet known by its French acronym HADOPI, (IPW, Access to Knowledge, 23 February 2009), according to sources. Among its measures, the law implements a “graduated response” mechanism, referred to […]
Switzerland, US Sign Science & Technology Agreement 01/04/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Switzerland and the United States on Tuesday signed the first-ever bilateral agreement on scientific and technology cooperation in Washington, DC. The framework agreement covers basic and applied research, involves joint programmes and conferences as well as information sharing, and facilitates visa entry requirements for scientific researchers. US State Department press release available here.