WIPO Reports Another Record In Cybersquatting Disputes In 2012 28/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment It was another record year in 2012 for cybersquatting cases filed at the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Centre. In addition, WIPO announced results of a survey that show that its mediation services could benefit parties in technology-related disputes.
European Commission Eyes Modernisation Of EU Trademark System 28/03/2013 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment European Commission plans to update Europe’s trademark system are generally good news for mark owners, a member of European brand owners’ association MARQUES has said.
United States Chided As TRIPS Scofflaw At WTO 26/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A clause unfairly protecting a rum company’s US market by denying trademark rights quietly stuck into a US Congress appropriations bill in the deep of night in the late 1990s continues to haunt the halls of the World Trade Organization – but that does not seem to trouble US trade authorities. And this is not the only intellectual property-related case being met with US indifference, an irony for possibly the biggest proponent of IP rights in the world.
ICANN Trademark Clearinghouse: Preregistration Rights Only For Those Who Pay? 26/03/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Starting today, trademark owners from around the world will be able to have their rights recorded in the Trademark Clearinghouse of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Designed to help trademark owners manage the flood of new internet domains being launched by ICANN, it’s an open question whether they will be satisfied with it.
Comparison Of US, EU Treaties Highlights Differences On ISP Liability 25/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Following the announcement that the United States and European Union will negotiate a free trade agreement, a comparison of recent US and EU treaties shows differences in their treatment of intellectual property.
Diverging Views On IPR Protection Needs In Africa Emerge At IP Workshop 25/03/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Nigeria’s booming film industry, born in an intellectual property-free environment, was presented as a case study of how IP needs may vary depending on context during a recent workshop organised by the US Commerce Department. In parallel, representatives of multinational brands and law enforcement delivered a strong message on the gravity of counterfeit trade, highlighting its link to organised crime.
German Parliament Votes To Protect News Snippets From Republishing 22/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Munich – A controversial update to German copyright law providing for an auxiliary protection for tiny extracts from press articles has been finally passed by the German Upper House (“Bundesrat”).
US Objective For EU-US FTA: Elevate IPR Enforcement 21/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday notified the US Congress of its intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the European Union. And in case there was any doubt, among the negotiating objectives will be to raise the level of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.
Global Pharma Companies See Battle For Survival In Pakistan 21/03/2013 by Shahzada Irfan Ahmed for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Lahore, Pakistan – Weak regulation of the local pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, including non-enforcement of intellectual property rights and the absence of a simple and swift dispute resolution mechanism, have hit the country’s health sector badly, industry sources say.
At US-Led Workshop, African Stakeholders Call For “Home Grown IP Agenda” 20/03/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – In a re-cast, smaller version of the event that was planned and postponed last year, the US State Department’s workshop on IP utilisation and protection in Africa opened yesterday. It is co-organised by the African Intellectual Property Group (AIPG), a new pro-IP association of stakeholders across the continent, which says it’s time for Africa find its own voice on intellectual property issues.