WIPO Director Calls For “Re-Thinking” Intellectual Property 28/08/2013 by Alessandro Marongiu for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry last week issued a call for a redefinition of the functions of the IP system in the context of a fast-changing and globalised world.
WIPO To Hold Teach-In On Value Of IP System To Indigenous Peoples 28/08/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization has scheduled a workshop in December to teach indigenous peoples the value of the intellectual property system in protecting their knowledge and resources.
US IP Enforcement Coordinator Named To Lead Industry Group 28/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a common move for Washington officials who work to protect industry interests while in office, the first-ever United States intellectual property enforcement coordinator has been named to lead a large US software industry group that lobbied her office up until she left two weeks ago.
Library Group Publishes User Guide To WIPO Marrakesh Treaty 27/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) has released a user guide to the recently adopted “Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.” LCA is an organisation representing three major North American library associations.
Patently Geopolitical: The New Frontier of Government And Market Interaction 26/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The USTR’s disapproval of the ITC order excluding Apple products from the US raises difficult issues about the relationship between public decision-making and private solutions — and invites strategic policymaking by other governments.
Interviews: What Protection Of Traditional Knowledge Means To Indigenous Peoples 20/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization member states in July concluded the biennium work of the committee tasked with finding agreement on international legal tools to prevent misappropriation and misuse of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. Indigenous peoples and local communities are holders of a substantial part of this knowledge and are demanding that it be protected against misappropriation but also against its use without their consent. Intellectual Property Watch recently conducted two interviews on the issue with different indigenous groups.
Copyright Groups Question Fair Use In Australian Copyright Reform 06/08/2013 by Alessandro Marongiu for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Among hundreds of comments in the context of an ongoing Australian inquiry on copyright exceptions in the digital economy, organisations representing the interests of creative industries cast doubt on the inclusion of a fair use exception in Australian copyright law.
Medicines Patent Pool, Roche Strike HIV-Related Medicine Pricing Agreement 05/08/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Medicines Patent Pool today announced an agreement with Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche to increase access and reduce the cost of a medicine that treats a viral infection in people with weakened immune systems, specifically for people living with HIV.
US Justice Department Proposes Remedy In E-Books Case 02/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) today announced its remedy proposal to address Apple’s anticompetitive conduct to raise e-book prices. The proposal follows a July decision by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York finding that Apple conspired with five major publishers to fix the prices of e-books in the United States.
What Does WTO Extension For LDCs To Enforce IP Mean For Pharmaceuticals? 02/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The recent extension granted by World Trade Organization members to least developed countries giving 8 more years to implement international intellectual property protection rules threw a shroud of confusion over a parallel WTO waiver for pharmaceutical products conferred on least developed countries until 2016. In an attempt to shed some light on the issue, several experts were asked for their reflections on the consequences of the new extension.