TRIPS Council Debates IP Improving Lives, Competition Law To Increase Medicines Access 07/06/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Whether intellectual property rights are improving lives or whether they should be reined in by tools such as competition law to increase access to medicine, education, and innovation, was debated this week at the World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property. Also on the agenda was a suggestion by least-developed countries to create incentives for developed country companies and institutions to transfer technologies for the benefit of the poorest countries.
EUIPO Study Looks At State Of IPR Infringement In The EU 06/06/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A report published today by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) deplores rising volume of intellectual property rights infringement in both immaterial goods and digital content and warns against the economic effects for the Union.
Experts In Geneva: Substandard, Falsified Medicines Not About IP 06/06/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Falsified and substandard medical products continue to be a global concern, and how those products are characterised is important to avoid confusion, particularly with intellectual property rights infringement. A panel convened by Brazil, India and South Africa yesterday at the World Trade Organization looked at the implications of a new definition of such products at the neighbouring World Health Organization.
Artificial Intelligence Applied: ‘Alex’ May Respond To Trademark Filers’ Facial Expressions 05/06/2018 by Gaensly Joseph for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new “virtual assistant” used by the Australian Intellectual Property Office may be able in the future to read the facial expressions of trademark filers and provide them with solutions – with empathy.
WIPO Edges Toward High-Level Meeting To Finish Treaty On IP Rights For Broadcasters 04/06/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee last week stepped back from a lunge toward a long-debated treaty to protect intellectual property rights of broadcasters, but still concluded with a recommendation for the full WIPO membership to consider taking the negotiation to the final political level later this year.
European Patent Office Discusses Patenting Artificial Intelligence 01/06/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment MUNICH — United States and Chinese patent practitioners this week called for considerations to change patent legislation and allow patenting algorithms in the future. They spoke at a 30 May conference of the European Patent Office in Munich on “Patenting Artificial Intelligence.”
Broadcasting Treaty Moving At WIPO, Copyright Exceptions For Libraries Not 31/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Positive momentum seems to have been found on a potential global treaty to protect broadcasting organisations as delegates moved towards convergence on some language this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Meanwhile, copyright exceptions for actors like libraries and research institutions is meeting the same strong opposition from some, and informal consultations and studies are being set out by the committee chair over the next 18 months, over concerns of delay.
‘Every Great Science Discovery, Invention, Is The Stuff Of Dreams, Not The Stuff Of Reason’: Interview With David Hanson Of Hanson Robotics 29/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Sophia, the well-known human-like robot who acquired citizenship in Saudi Arabia, was at the Artificial Intelligence for Good Global Summit which took place earlier this month in Geneva. Her creator, David Hanson, also CEO and founder of Hanson Robotics, gave an interview to Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez and explained his philosophy about intellectual property, the needed spark of interest in human-like robots, data collection, and innovation. Hanson is also lead designer and inventor of key technologies including Frubber nanotech, facial expressions and AI software. He is former Walt Disney Imagineering designer, and recipient of numerous awards. A video interview about Sophia is embedded in this text.
IP Rights Through Two Lenses At Next Week’s TRIPS Council: Improving Lives, Competition Law 29/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Next week, the World Trade Organization intellectual property committee is invited to discuss two distinct aspects of intellectual property protection. One group of countries is proposing to explore the value of IP and its role in improving lives in a persistent agenda item on IP and innovation. Another group of countries is pushing for a more recent agenda on IP and the public interest and next week is suggesting to discuss how to use competition laws against the abuse of IP rights.
Controversy Hides Within US Copyright Bill 29/05/2018 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a time when partisanship runs wild in the USA and the country’s political parties can’t seem to agree on anything, the Music Modernization Act is exceptional. The MMA passed the House of Representatives on 25 April with unanimous support. And for good reason. Almost all the major stakeholders back this legislation, which will bring some badly needed changes to copyright law’s treatment of music streaming. But wrapped in the MMA is a previously separate bill – the CLASSICS Act – that has been attacked by many copyright law experts, is opposed by many librarians and archivists, and runs counter to policy previously endorsed by the US Copyright Office.