Europe Takes IP Enforcement Build-up To Intergovernmental Channels 30/07/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Advanced European countries are increasingly looking for channels to school their neighbours and worldwide free-trade agreement partners on the enforcement of western-style intellectual property rights. And in order to get them to bite, officials are promoting the benefits to countries themselves of creating and protecting their own ideas. Now an effort is […]
Film Company Wins thesimpsonsmovie.com From Cybersquatter. Doh! 26/07/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch As the “Simpsons Movie” rolls out on silver screens across the United States and Europe, word comes that its maker, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, has won the rights to the domain name “thesimpsonsmovie.com” from a stand-up comedian who failed to strike the international arbitrator’s sense of humour. […]
Le Comité de l’OMPI sur les savoirs traditionnels et le folklore prolonge et ajuste son mandat 26/07/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Après d’intenses négociations de dernière minute, un comité de l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) a décidé de renouveler son mandat actuel, en accordant davantage d’importance à la direction qu’il souhaite donner à ses travaux futurs. I. Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, ambassadeur indonésien et président du comité, a confié […]
Observers Watchful Of US Trade Impact On Medicines Access 24/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The United States has begun incorporating a revised intellectual property and health policy into its bilateral trade deals. But although the overall softer approach towards its partners may improve access to medicines, the debate on the impact of the US free trade agreements on public health in developing countries is […]
Rising Friction On Whether To Move To WIPO Talks On Global TK Regime 09/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Halfway into a 10-day committee meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), friction was rising between members seeking to prod the slow-moving committee to begin consideration of an international instrument for the protection of traditional knowledge and those who continue to resist the acceleration. Developing countries calling for global […]
Belgian Court Orders ISPs To Install Filters To Stop P2P Piracy 09/07/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Belgian Internet service provider (ISP) Scarlet Extended Ltd. (formerly Tiscali) must filter infringing music downloads, the Brussels Court of First Instance ruled recently. The decision, the first of its kind in Europe, dismissed ISPs’ concerns about filtering and could lead to more such lawsuits or changes to European […]
German Parliament Reforms Copyright Law, Leaves Unfinished Work 06/07/2007 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch After four years of evermore controversial debate the German Parliament late Thursday passed another reform of the German Copyright Law intended to make updates for the digital age. But some are already planning for the next round of changes to the law. Referred to as the “second basket” […]
Battle Looms In US Over Royalty Fees For Internet Radio 26/06/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Webcasters across the United States fell silent on 26 June in an effort to influence the passage of legislation reversing royalty rate increases many say will kill radio delivered over the Internet. The “Internet Radio Equality Act,” introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives, responds to […]
WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Talks Sent Back To Committee 22/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New World Intellectual Property Organization members on Friday recommended to move talks on a proposed broadcasters’ and cablecasters’ treaty back to committee level for further consideration, a day after rejecting a proposal to elevate the issue to formal treaty negotiations. The move could signify a shelving of the issue, some nine years after […]
WIPO Side-Event Highlights Exceptions, Limitations In Broadcasting Treaty 20/06/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Concerns that a new treaty on broadcasting being discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) this week will be unbalanced, providing extra protection rights for broadcasters and further limits to users, was the topic of an event alongside the negotiation. The impact on developing countries was of particular concern. […]