FSFE On Rockstar vs. Google: “Software Patents As A License For Privateering” 07/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) today issued a warning about the rise of Rockstar, a consortium of large companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Sony, formed to assert former Nortel patents. The consortium recently sued Google and other companies for infringement of several of those patents.
US Chamber Event To Rally Support For Trade Deals, Patent Litigation Bill 07/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A US Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) event tomorrow will include efforts to bring industry forces closer together to get congressional support for the nearly completed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and for proposed legislation on patent litigation.
ITU Gets Involved In IP Protection 06/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has announced a workshop in Ukraine next year aimed at fighting counterfeit technology products, representing a notable foray into intellectual property rights protection by the UN agency.
UK Implements Copyright Term Extension From 50 to 70 Years 04/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United Kingdom has announced the implementation of new rules that extend the term of copyright for sound recordings and performers rights in such recordings from 50 to 70 years.
Flurry Of TPP Negotiating Meetings Underway 01/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement have undertaken an intensive series of negotiating meetings on specific topics over the coming month, ending with a meeting of chief negotiators and key experts in late November.
USTR Froman: FTAs A Way To Get Higher IP Standards Into Global Trade “Bloodstream” 31/10/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment United States Trade Representative Michael Froman today said that bilateral and regional agreements offer a way to get higher standards in areas such as intellectual property rights protection “into the bloodstream” of the global trading system, when it is not possible to do it through multilateral agreements.
New Trans-Pacific Partnership Caucus In US Congress 30/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments A new caucus of supporters of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement under negotiation was launched yesterday in the US Congress.
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.
Antigua Creating Platform To Monetise Suspended US IP Rights From WTO Case 24/10/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments The government of Antigua and Barbuda is said to be taking steps to set up a platform to allow the tiny Caribbean nation to monetise or otherwise take advantage of the suspension of US intellectual property rights, as it is permitted to do by a World Trade Organization dispute panel. The WTO panel had ruled that Antigua could make up its loss in IP rights for US measures blocking Antiguan online gambling in the US.