May Edition of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 05/05/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter features the most important news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the IP community at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Geneva missions, regional and national IP offices, industry and non-governmental organisations, plus News Briefs on reports and events that do not […]
UN Agency To Address Link Between IP Assets And Financial Securities 29/04/2008 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch NEW YORK – The banking industry and the intellectual property community will be keeping close tabs on the activities of a United Nations group next month when it meets to begin forming the foundation of IP rights treatment by the world’s various secured financing systems.
Mobile Phone Manufacturers Seek To Control Rising IP Costs 21/04/2008 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch A proposal by some of the world’s largest mobile phone equipment manufacturers to limit royalty fees on a next-generation wireless technology is the latest in a series of initiatives to try and control spiralling intellectual property costs.
German Enforcement Directive: Industry Favour Or Necessary First Step? 17/04/2008 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch The German Parliament last Friday passed changes in copyright, patent and other intellectual property-related laws with the aim of better enforcement of IP violations in civil rights cases. The changes transpose the much-debated European Union IP Enforcement Directive (IPRED) into German law. IPRED contains general obligations, precautionary and corrective measures, damages and extended information rights for rights owners in civil law complaints aimed at third parties like internet service providers (ISPs).
EPO Head Sees Need To Review IP Rules For Climate Change 10/04/2008 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch BRUSSELS – Changes to intellectual property rules may be needed to facilitate the use of technology aimed at addressing climate change, the head of the European Patent Office (EPO) has suggested. Next month, the 34-country EPO will host what it claims is the first major international conference to examine the patenting issues raised by global warming. Alison Brimelow, the EPO’s president, said the European Patent Forum in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana will give an opportunity to exchange ideas on whether the international system for regulating intellectual property should be modified.
April Edition of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 08/04/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter features the most important news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the IP community at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Geneva missions, regional and national IP offices, industry and non-governmental organisations, plus News Briefs on reports and events that do not […]
UK IP Chief: Copyright System A “Constant Conflict” 03/04/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The copyright system is not a balance but a “constant conflict” whose nature must be continually debated, UK Intellectual Property Office Chief Executive Ian Fletcher said at a recent seminar on the future of copyright. The office is in the throes of a consultation on possible new copyright law exceptions, the most controversial of which is a proposal to allow limited format-shifting.
New National-Level Programmes Echo WIPO Patent Treaty 01/04/2008 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch NEW YORK – The Japanese Patent Office in April will introduce a new policy called JP-First, which aims to release patent examination results of applications first filed with the JPO to major patent offices throughout the world, including in some developing countries. The initiative and others could be steps toward allowing patent filers to bypass an established international treaty on patents, sources said. Also at the event, government officials and academics also discussed copyright developments in Canada. US experts argued that Canada is not doing its part to crack down on piracy, while the Canadians said they are actually setting the bar in some areas in terms of protecting copyrighted works.
Revision of Swiss Copyright Law Raises Moderate Protest 20/03/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Catherine Saez Switzerland has adopted a new copyright law strengthening the rights of performers, producers and copyright owners online that appears less stringent than similar legislation adopted in some peer countries, according to observers. Nevertheless, some activists still see the Swiss law as jeopardising users’ rights.
A Telling Year Ahead For Free And Open Source Technologies 18/03/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara The year 2008 is one of consolidation and maturation for alternatives to traditional intellectual property rights made possible by the ease of information transfer via the Internet. The free and open source software community is growing more prominent, and the access to knowledge communities are expanding to include a broader range and deeper understanding of their issues.