WTO Back At The Discussion Table On GI Register 08/12/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An informal meeting is scheduled to take place on 12 December at the World Trade Organization on a multilateral register for geographical indications of wines and spirits. The meeting is expected to discuss how to move the work in the negotiations, and how to reflect it in the post-Bali work programme, according to a source.
One Bite At The Apple: PTAB Closes IPR Joinder Loophole 08/12/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments As a result of the America Invents Act enacted three years ago, the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) now handles inter partes reviews (IPR)—a new trial proceeding used to challenge the validity of patent claims based on patents and printed publications. Recently, the PTAB has caused a split concerning the proper scope of the IPR joinder provision, which grants the PTAB discretion to join a “party” to a previously-instituted IPR. In the past, the PTAB interpreted the term “party” expansively to include petitioners for whom it had already instituted an IPR. Petitioners were quick to jump on this loophole, and have since sought to raise new arguments in an instituted IPR by filing a subsequent petition and seeking joinder with the in-progress proceeding.
Paper Proposes Access And Benefit Mechanisms To Help Implement Nagoya Protocol 04/12/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A recent paper proposes that countries use the access and benefit-sharing mechanism of the Nagoya Protocol to ensure conservation action and effective implementation of the protocol.
EU Law Does Not Adequately Protect Performers, Study Finds 02/12/2014 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Association of European Performers’ Organisations (AEPO-ARTIS) has released a study showing that EU legislation does not provide adequate protection to performers for the legal exploitation of their performances on the internet.
China Establishes Patent, Trademark And Copyright Integrated Office 28/11/2014 by Mingjiang Liu for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment China has set up an administrative office called the Shanghai City Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Office, integrating patent, trademark and copyright administration in the Pudong New Area in Shanghai city.
Interview With Alberto Bichi, Federation Of The European Sporting Goods Industry 26/11/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Alberto Bichi is secretary-general of the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), based in Brussels. In an interview with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez, he describes FESI’s mission, the views of the industry on the importance of intellectual property protection, and the growing issue of counterfeiting. He also talked about the industry’s concern over the current European Union customs regulation on goods in transit, which, according to him is negatively impacting the sector.
USTR Froman Presses India On IPR Regime 24/11/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments “Nearly one-third of all Silicon Valley start-ups have an Indian-American co-founder,” United States Trade Representative Michael Froman said in remarks on India today. The country of India is also innovating, but it must do more to have and enforce a world-class intellectual property rights regime, he said.
US Courts Recognise New Performers’ Rights 24/11/2014 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment For performers and record labels in the United States, it is terrific news. They possess previously unrecognised rights in audio recordings, according to three recent court rulings. But not everyone is pleased about this. The decisions not only upend 75 years of US copyright law, they create big problems for broadcasters, webcasters and many other internet firms, all of whom now face hefty liability for copyright infringement.
Threats To IP Call For A Risk-Based Approach 24/11/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Pamela Passman Economic globalization and digitization of information have revolutionized business and allowed for efficiency that was unimaginable a few decades ago. The ability to share information remotely means companies can coordinate with partners remotely, integrate suppliers, track shipments and communicate in real time with customers in distant markets. These trends represent a seismic […]
UK High Court Orders ISPs To Block Trademark-Infringing Websites 20/11/2014 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In what may be a test case for trademark owners battling counterfeiters, the UK High Court has ordered five internet service providers (ISPs) to block websites that were advertising and selling bogus goods. The ruling could have implications beyond Britain, the court said. ISPs, meanwhile, said the best way to handle infringing websites is to remove them at source rather than blocking.