US High Court Removes Economics From Patent Law 08/07/2015 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Economics be damned. So said the US Supreme Court on 22 June, when it reaffirmed a 50 year-old ruling that limits how patent owners can license their patents. The court conceded the limit does not make economic sense, but asserted that patent law has its own logic. That could change many aspects of patent law, according to experts.
Copyright And The Public Interest: Not Necessarily Competing Forces 07/07/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Copyright protection advances the public interest, and good public policy must properly consider “the role of intellectual property as a tool for economic emancipation, a catalyst for cultural diversity, and a powerful protector of individual dignity and fundamental human rights,” argues RIAA’s Neil Turkewitz.
South Africa Says WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Would Address Piracy As African Production Grows 07/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the broadcasting sector is growing in developing countries, concern over piracy of the signal of their broadcasts is rising, according to delegates from South Africa. Delegates attending last week’s World Intellectual Property Organisation copyright committee meeting sat down with Intellectual Property Watch and argued the importance of a potential WIPO treaty protecting broadcasting organisations’ rights.
No Directions For WIPO Copyright Committee, Despite Positive Mood 06/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Despite what was described as good momentum by World Intellectual Property Organization delegates trying to find ways to protect broadcasting organisations against piracy and providing copyright exceptions and limitations for the benefit of libraries, archives, education and research, no recommendation to the upcoming annual WIPO General Assembly could be agreed last week.
Copyright Exceptions And Limitations: Efforts By Chair To Break Status Quo Gather Support 02/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Yesterday, the chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on copyright issued a non-official paper to delegates in an effort to break what appeared at the beginning of the session as status quo as delegations camped on their previous positions.
At WIPO, Performers Make Case For More Help, Visual Artists Seek Resale Right 02/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Ani Mamikon for Intellectual Property Watch and Rishi Dhir for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on copyright was discussing the protection of broadcasting organisations this week, performers lobbied for fair remuneration in the digital age. Visual artists, for their part, campaigned member states for a new treaty to be considered to protect their resale rights. Image Credits: Rishi Dhir
Report: New Technologies For Visually And Hearing Impaired People Lack Commercialisation 01/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Ani Mamikon for Intellectual Property Watch and Rishi Dhir for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A World Intellectual Property Organization patent landscaping report launched this week shows that although a large number of patents have been granted on technologies aimed to help visually and hearing impaired persons, most of them have not been commercialised yet.
Poland To Modify Authors’ Rights Violations Regulation After Constitutional Court Ruling 30/06/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WARSAW – Poland’s Constitutional Court has released a ruling in which it states that the country’s regulation obliging any entity violating other entity’s author’s rights to pay the threefold amount of due payment is excessive, and, as a result, should be amended. The latest ruling will oblige the Polish Parliament to modify the authors’ rights bill in line with the Constitutional Court decision, and decrease the amount of the due compensation.
Two Sides Of Copyright Law To Be Considered By WIPO Committee Next Week 26/06/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization committee on copyright is meeting next week with an agenda of discussions on a potential international instrument to protect broadcasting organisations’ copyrights, and at the same time exceptions and limitations to copyright for the benefit of libraries, archives, education, research, and persons with disabilities other than sight impairment.
Effects Of New Australian Blocking Legislation Remain Highly Controversial 26/06/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Much will depend on Australian federal judges after a website blocking bill targeting copyright violations was passed by both houses of the Australian legislature this week.