WTO Dispute Panel Formed On Australia Tobacco Law 28/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body today established a panel to review a complaint filed by Ukraine against Australia for a tobacco plain-packaging law aimed at discouraging tobacco use.
WIPO Director Calls For Efforts To Boost Viability Of Copyright 27/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry has issued a call for new efforts to ensure copyright remains viable and to win the hearts and minds of the public toward intellectual property rights. The comments came in a broader context of maintaining the relevance of the organisation on the eve of the annual WIPO General Assembly.
Google’s Neutrality Stance Tested Yet Again In Brazil 27/09/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The arrest of the president of Google’s operations in Brazil is the latest in a string of court decisions to test the neutrality stance of the search giant. Since its beginnings, Google has seen itself as an internet middleman, insisting that it should not be held legally liable for any defamatory or infringing content posted by its users.
European Creators Insist Private Copying Levy Still Relevant 25/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Trade associations representing creators, performers and producers of literary works in Europe have reiterated in a joint declaration issued today that manufacturers of copying devices should continue paying for copyright levies amid efforts to abolish the controversial remuneration model.
Special Report: Licensing Of News Titles And Extracts – Newspapers’ Best And Last Bet? 25/09/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a bold and unprecedented move, the ruling coalition of Germany has come to the rescue of the beleaguered news publishing industry by pushing for the enactment of a related right to copyright that would ask commercial aggregators to pay publishers for their use of headlines and extracts of news articles.
Copyright Industry Hard-Hitter Fritz Attaway Retires 21/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Fritz Attaway, a fighter for copyright in the international legal and policy trenches for nearly four decades has retired, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced today.
Medals, Models And Moguls 21/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Cobus Jooste writes: In this special report, the VineOracle (IPStell’s personal pundit on all things IP) brings news (and her own brand of predictions) for the aesthetically minded visitor. And it’s a star-studded cast of high-flyers (and fast swimmers) from Paris and New York representing some of the most exclusive brands. But do not be fooled by the A-list members on call, from what the VineOracle hears, these celebrities are prone to IP rights violations aplenty.
WIPO: Protection Of Country Names Inspires Delegates; Designs Conference Elusive 20/09/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The use of a country name by third party with no association with the country can have a severe impact on a developing country’s economy, according to the governments of Jamaica and Barbados. The two Caribbean nations are asking this week that the World Intellectual Property Organization undertake a study on the protection of country names in the context of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT).
US And UN Consider New Limits On Patent Wars 20/09/2012 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The patent wars have produced many casualties around the world. Companies that make and sell smartphones and tablet computers, courts, consumers and the economy – all have suffered, according to many experts. “I couldn’t come up with a worse system” for handling patent disputes, said Erich Spangenberg, chairman of IP Navigation Group, a consultancy. But significant reforms may be on the way, thanks to the US government and a United Nations agency.
India: Balancing Public And Private Interests In The Intellectual Property Regime 18/09/2012 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments NEW DELHI – In this month, there have been two court orders in India that underscore the complexities underlying the country’s intellectual property regime. Last Friday (14 September), the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) which is responsible for hearing appeals on patent applications, rejected a petition by German pharma major Bayer AG, seeking a stay on an order of India’s Controller of Patents granting a compulsory licence (CL) to Indian generic drug maker Natco Pharma Limited, for a drug used to treat liver and kidney cancer.