US IP Enforcement Coordinator Under Trump Asks, “What Can We Do Differently?” 05/02/2019 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Trump administration is taking the US intellectual property enforcement coordinator’s role in new directions, building on past administrations but trying to address ways it has not been effective in the past, according to the annual report of the coordinator, released yesterday.
US Complaints About Technology Transfer In China: Negotiating The Endgame 24/01/2019 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Dean Pinkert writes: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has been open about its view of the difficulties faced by US companies who claim – generally anonymously – that they have been forced to transfer technology to Chinese entities: “The fact that China systematically implements its technology transfer regime in informal and indirect ways makes it ‘just as effective [as written requirements], but almost impossible to prosecute.’” As I explain in this article, I believe such informality is not merely a barrier to prosecutions; it also presents conceptual challenges for US trade negotiators as they attempt to craft effective means to address the concerns of US companies doing business in China.
What’s The Cost Of Allowing Patent Theft? Don’t Wait To Find Out 09/01/2019 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Russ Genet writes: Protecting patents can be expensive, especially for companies competing in a global arena where aggressive startups, cut-rate competitors and industrial giants are all vying for the next big innovation to snatch up or move to market. However, failing to protect patents can be equally expensive. It is estimated that patent theft costs the US economy billions each year. And for the corporate patent owner, failing to defend patent rights today can significantly limit their value in the future.
US IP Attachés: China’s IP Policy ‘Hijacked’ By Local Interests In 2018; Bad Faith Filings A ‘Cancer’ 21/12/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WASHINGTON, DC – Two out of three United States intellectual property attachés based in China last week had tough words for China’s manipulation of IP policy and law over the past year, suggesting they at times “hijack” the legal process in favour of local interests, and are in a mad rush to become the world’s top patent and trademark filers regardless of quality to the point that it has become a “cancer” on the IP registration system. A third US IP attaché, however, took a friendlier and more patient view of China’s actions, downplaying concerns and urging US companies to allow it to continue.
WIPO: Facilitators Suggest First Revision Of Draft Articles On Protection Of TK, Folklore 13/12/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment This week’s first revisions of draft articles of potential treaties protecting traditional knowledge, and folklore were released midweek at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Changes included new elements on a tiered approach in the protection of traditional knowledge, whether it is restricted, narrowly diffused, or widely diffused.
Stan Lee: Writer, Creator, And Marketer Of Intellectual Property 11/12/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Dave Davis writes: As the many and well-deserved accolades for Stan Lee pour in on the occasion of his death after a career in content creation —mostly in writing— that spanned six decades, I thought now might be a suitable moment to add an additional perspective. I’m focusing on his success as someone who brought his creative expression to market, to the enjoyment of what eventually became an audience of millions. Stan Lee was many things, and among them, he was an outstandingly successful entrepreneur of intellectual property.
Indigenous Knowledge Misappropriation: The Case Of The Zia Sun Symbol Explained At WIPO 11/12/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In 1925, New Mexico, which gained statehood in the United States in 1912, adopted a design for its flag featuring a sun symbol belonging to the Zia peoples. According to the tribe, the symbol was secret and stolen from the Zia, who lost both ownership and control over it, and were left to contemplate the sun symbol being widely used and sometimes desecrated.
European Council Committee Agrees On Higher Protection For Spirit Drinks, Takes GIs Beyond TRIPS 10/12/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An agriculture committee of the European Council today adopted an agreement on labelling of spirit drinks, giving them higher protection by adding seven years to the World Trade Organization minimum intellectual property standard.
European Commission Introduces Its Inaugural IP “Watch List” 09/12/2018 by Emmanuel Legrand for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Echoing the United States’ Special 301 Report on alleged inadequacy of trading partners’ protection of US intellectual property rights, the European Commission has released its first ever Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List, which exposes rogue cyberlockers, stream-ripping sites as well as peer-to-peer and BitTorrent indexing sites among the threats to the EU’s legitimate intellectual property-driven businesses.
Report: Core Copyright Industries Add $1.3 Trillion To US Economy 07/12/2018 by Emmanuel Legrand for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Core copyright industries have contributed more than $1.3 trillion to US gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, and accounted for 6.85% of the US economy. They employed nearly 5.7 million workers in 2017, accounting for 3.85% of the entire US workforce, or 4.54% of total private employment in the United States, according to the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)’s “Copyright Industries in the U.S. Economy: The 2018 Report.”