Substantive Work On Amendment of Lisbon System Starts; New Language Proposed 14/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization members negotiating a new version of a treaty protecting appellations of origin started fine-tuning the wording of the potential amended treaty’s articles, trying to find common language on remaining issues, such as trans-border geographical areas of origin, and the required information in applications.
Polish Government Drafts IP Law Reform 13/05/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WARSAW — More than twenty years after Poland’s parliament passed the Authors’ and Related Rights law of 1994, the Polish government is drafting three bills to modify the country’s intellectual property legislation. The first of the drafts prepared by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National heritage was submitted to the Parliament in March, and is currently being deliberated, while the ministry is finishing work on the remaining two drafts.
WIPO Diplomatic Conference On GIs Starts With 28 Member Governments 11/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Last-ditch efforts by a range of World Intellectual Property Organization members to join treaty negotiations at WIPO this week failed, as the 28 members of the treaty rejected a proposal to allow non-members. As a result, WIPO’s biggest-paying member called into question the future legitimacy of the UN organisation.
Q&A With US On Concerns About Lisbon GI Treaty Negotiation 08/05/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Next week, the 28 members of the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization are expected to conduct a high-level negotiating meeting to agree on a new Act of the agreement. Major changes expected are the inclusion of geographical indications in the agreement, and the possibility for intergovernmental organisations such as the European Union to become members of the revised agreement. The United States has been among the leading countries concerned about the negotiation. In a Q&A, the US in written answers explained the concerns. The questions were sent by Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez.
EU Parliament Considers Extension Of GI Protection To Non-Agricultural Products 08/05/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Just days before the start of the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a new Act of the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origins and their International Registration, several committees of the European Parliament considered a recommendation to extend existing geographical indication protection in the European Union to non-agricultural products.
‘Bound By Law’, 26 Lisbon Members Say No To Fully Open Diplomatic Conference On GIs 07/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The ambassadors of all but two members of a 28-member World Intellectual Property Organization-administered treaty protecting appellations of origin said in a letter yesterday that international law requires that only treaty members participate in next week’s negotiations to add geographical indications to the treaty.
Diplomatic Conference On Inclusion Of GIs In WIPO Treaty Kicks Off Next Week 07/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Geographical indications might gain stronger international protection through the amendment of a 28-member World Intellectual Property Organization-administered treaty protecting appellations of origin. The high-level negotiating meeting taking place next week will consider pending issues in hopes of completing the landmark change. Here is your guide to the issues.
United States Hopeful Lisbon Members Will Open Diplomatic Conference To All 07/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments During a press briefing today the United States said they still have hope that the 28 members of a World Intellectual Property Organization-administered treaty will let the whole WIPO membership participate in next week’s negotiations to amend that treaty. It said that the potential new treaty protecting appellations of origins and set to include geographical indications can impact the economies of many non-member countries.
EU Copyright Review Divisive; French MEP Says UN Expert Lacks Balance 07/05/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Farida Shaheed, yesterday gave a presentation to the Legal Committee of the European Parliament, which currently is reviewing the EU Copyright Directive.
EU Trade Commissioner New Paper On Investor-State Disputes In TTIP 05/05/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström published a concept paper on investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms to be included in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).