Farmers’ Groups Warn ARIPO About Implementing UPOV 91 In Africa 30/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A collective civil society group has raised concerns about a draft Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) plant variety protection law, which is based on the 1991 version of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The draft law, which may come up for adoption in November, would criminalise farmers’ rights and undermine the seed systems in Africa, they said.
US Film Industry Gives USTR List Of Biggest IP Infringers 28/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Motion Picture Association of America has provided a list to the US Trade Representative’s office of the global websites and other sources the US film group says are the most copyright-infringing in the world.
At IGF, Glimpses Of Future IP Governance Overshadowed By Mass Surveillance 28/10/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Away from traditional free trade agreement negotiations with secret chapters on stricter intellectual property protection, perceptions are slowly evolving about the need to make IP systems work better. One of 100+ sessions at the 8th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Bali, Indonesia last week featured “intellectual property exchanges” as marketplaces for knowledge. But IP policy did not take centre stage and neither did other access topics in Bali, which instead was overshadowed by the recent revelations of mass surveillance by US intelligence services.
European Parliament: No More Bank Data Transfers To US For Anti-Terror Investigations 23/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Parliament is showing some teeth again. Following the ongoing revelations of mass surveillance by US intelligence agencies, the Parliament plenary today passed a resolution calling on the EU Commission to temporarily suspend all data transfers according to the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) with the United States Treasury Department.
A New Model For Internet Governance Is In The Air 23/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Brazilian Minister of Communications Paolo Bernado Silva, during the opening session of this week’s 8th Internet Governance Forum in Bali, Indonesia, announced that the goal of the Internet Governance Summit in Brazil next spring will be to find a new model for internet governance.
Sign Of The Times: USTR Press Events 100 Percent Closed To Press 22/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment How sensitive is US trade? Perhaps as an indication of its approach to the press, the United States Trade Representative’s office yesterday published its weekly “press week ahead” full of events that would be of interest to domestic and international press – and 100 percent closed to press.
UPOV Holds Weeklong Meetings As Civil Society Publishes Restricted Documents 22/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments This week the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is holding the annual meeting of its governing body, and preparatory meetings leading up to it. A seminar also is being held on essentially derived varieties. Meanwhile, civil society is asking that all the meeting documents be held public while demonstrating that restricted documents can be obtained through national freedom of information rights.
Polish Ministry Plans IP Reform – To Shift Rights From Universities To Researchers 22/10/2013 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Poland’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka has announced plans to modify Poland’s intellectual property law by providing scientists with property rights to the results of their research.
Bali IGF: Surveillance, Human Rights, Governance Of Internet Resources, “Multistakeholderism” 21/10/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The revelations of mass surveillance by the US and other intelligence services are expected to considerably influence the 8th Internet Governance Forum in Bali, Indonesia this week.
European Commission Market-Tests Samsung Antitrust Commitments 18/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Commission wants feedback from interested parties on a proposal by Samsung Electronics to resolve an antitrust investigation. The case relates to Samsung’s efforts to enforce standard essential patents (SEPs) it owns for mobile communications technology. SEPs are patents that protect technologies essential for the implementation of an industry standard developed by a standard-setting organisation.