Global Biotech Industry Revisits Geneva, Seeks To Build Relationships To Help Shape Policies 14/11/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A global association representing biotechnology industries last week made a second annual visit to Geneva’s institutions to raise awareness of how the industry works, its needs, and how the association could participate better in policymaking. Dismissing fears of industry unduly influencing public policies, two representatives of the association sat down with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez to explain the importance of biotechnology in solving the problems of the world, and the need to raise awareness of the perspective of the biotechnology sector.
IP Experts Discuss US Congressional Changes, Prospects For IP Legislation 13/11/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NEW YORK – Major changes are coming to the makeup of the US Congress from the perspective of intellectual property policy, and while it may translate into more patent-friendly officials, the prospect for legislation is uneven, a panel of IP experts told a private sector conference here last week.
IGF Needs Bold Reform, Internet Needs More Regulation, Says President Macron 12/11/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron today opened the 13th Internet Governance Forum (November 12-14) in Paris with a firework of requests to the IGF community and some bold ideas. The IGF after a decade should take on much more responsibility in the development of internet regulation, Macron demanded, and said he together with last year’s and next year’s hosts of the UN forum is collaborating on pushing for more formal results, The IGF according to Macron should become a part of the UN Secretary General‘s Office, Macron proposed, to illustrate the importance. His call for regulation was echoed at the event by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
WIPO Members Look At Protection Of Country Names, GIs, Icons 12/11/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A number of countries are voicing concerns about their country name being used by trademark applicants with no relation to the country, riding on the country’s reputation or geographical relevance. They are also worried about their country name being used as an internet top-level domain name. Those are among the issues being discussed this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on trademarks, along with questions on the protection of geographical indications, and of icons and typeface on the internet.
WTO TRIPS Council Debates Competition Law, Plain Packaging’s Spread To Other Products 12/11/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee met last week with lively discussions on the benefit of IP rights protection for new businesses, and on the role of competition law to prevent abuses of those rights and in particular ensure greater access to medicines. Also, considering the recent WTO Dispute Settlement Body ruling on the tobacco plain packaging, some countries warned against this decision becoming a precedent and spreading to other goods, and undermining trademark protection.
Experts Assess Coming Changes In US Courts And Patentability 09/11/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NEW YORK — A panel of legal and government experts this week discussed trends in courts in the United States on patent cases and changes underway at the US Patent and Trademark Office. One conclusion? There may be a real shift in what is seen as patentable in the US, but it may take an act of Congress. [Note: part 1 of 2. The second part will address this week’s changes in the US Congress.]
Intangible Capital Rising, IP Key For Start-Ups, Traditional Growth Model Has To Change, Panellists Say 08/11/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The importance of intangible capital is growing and so is the significance of intellectual property, according to some, and in particular in the new economy. Start-ups see intellectual property as an indispensable tool to attract investors and put their innovations onto the market. Developing countries still mainly stuck in what some call the “commodity trap” have to identify and exploit their intellectual property assets, according to panellists at an event held at the World Trade Organization yesterday.
“Peace Has Broken Out” In Software Development, Heralding Open Source As The Future 07/11/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment “Peace has broken out” between big technology companies and the free and open source software (FOSS) community, according to a leading FOSS advocate, leading a tech industry representative to say, “this is the future.”
WTO TRIPS Council Agenda: IP Key For New Businesses, Competition Law To Counter Abuses 05/11/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Trade Organization intellectual property committee members gather this week for their annual autumn session. On the agenda are now-usual topics looking at intellectual property from two perspectives: IP as an indispensable tool for innovation in particular in the new economy, and IP as a potential threat to access if misused. In addition, India has put forward further questions on goods in transit to the European Union in its directive on custom enforcement of IP rights.
Report: Is China Gaining The Inside Track On Standards For “Internet Of Things” Technology? 31/10/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new US private sector report asserts that China is gaining the inside track on international standard-setting for “Internet of Things” technology, and offers strategies for the United States to keep competitive in the marketplace by maintaining influence over standard-setting while protecting data security.