Olympic Games: Trademark Revenues Are High Stakes 29/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment With a budget of over 2 US$ billion, the Brazilian Olympics rely heavily on commercial sponsors and licensing for revenue. Protecting the Olympic symbols is thus an imperative for the games with stringent rules on the use of those symbols and related signs. However, the fame of the event also draws covetousness from a variety of commercial actors seeking free rides, which is a dangerous endeavour, according to legal sources. Brazil adopted special rules for the occasion, while in the United States the protection is particularly stringent.
International Trademark Interoperability Projects Advance 28/07/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Projects aimed at creating a more interoperable international trademark system are moving forward, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office (JPO). Among those in the works are the USPTO-led TM5 ID List Project, which USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks Mary Boney Denison said will lead to faster processing of high-quality trademarks around the world.
WTO DG Sees Positive Changes, More Engagement; Would Consider A Second Term 27/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevêdo today said he would consider a second mandate at the head of the organisation. He also described a positive momentum in the organisation in the first semester of 2016, after two successful ministerial conferences, with members coming up with new ideas. About Brexit, potential scenarios are being explored but it seems a lot of renegotiations might be on the United Kingdom’s plate.
South African Government Staves Off Critics With IP Consultative Framework 27/07/2016 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) appears to be meeting its detractors halfway with a new intellectual property consultative framework it says will help pave the way for consultative engagement with IP stakeholders both inside and outside of government.
Google Anti-Piracy Report Criticised By Content Owners 27/07/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Google is doing more to counter online copyright infringement than ever before, it said in its “How Google Fights Piracy 2016 Update,” claiming takedowns of over 500 million webpages in response to rights holder requests. Yet the music industry and an academic said the company needs to up its game.
Swift Decision On Plain Packaging At WTO Unlikely; Ukraine Drops Out 26/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment As the list of countries adopting legislation making the packaging of tobacco products a lot less sexy is growing, the long-awaited decision of a World Trade Organization panel on Australia’s decision to enforce such legislation might not be coming before the end of the year. Meanwhile, one of the countries complaining about Australia’s legislation has left the fight.
US Justice Department Nails Three In Mass Mailing Trademark Scam 20/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A Wells Fargo bank manager in California worked with two colleagues to conduct a scam targeting trademark holders and launder the proceeds, the United States Department of Justice said today.
UK Government Called To Action To Further Boost IP Enforcement 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Kingdom-based Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) industry group launched a “manifesto” earlier this month, calling on the government to establish a more effective and comprehensive response to intellectual property crime.
EU Anti-Counterfeiting Rapid Intelligence System: One Database For All Data On IPR Infringement 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission Trade Directorate recently launched a new intellectual property enforcement tool that aims to pool together all data relating to IP rights infringement experienced by EU companies into one database to help build prevention strategies. This is one of many new EU initiatives to counter growing IPR infringement and counterfeits.
TTIP Negotiators Need Many More Nights To Negotiate – And Are Planning Just That 15/07/2016 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Top negotiators of the European Union and United States today underlined after the 14th round of negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that they are still on track for finalising the deal during the outgoing Obama administration. At the same time, they acknowledged that after three years of negotiations some chapters have never been discussed.