US Congress Reconsiders Anti-Patent Troll Law 19/02/2015 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment It happened again on 5 February. The powerful chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Bob Goodlatte introduced the Innovation Act for a second time. This bill, aimed at hurting patent trolls by making a plethora of changes in US patent law, easily passed the House of Representatives last term. It subsequently bogged down in a Democrat-controlled Senate. However, now that the GOP controls both wings of Congress, many observers predict the bill will have soon become law. Other experts aren’t so sure, noting that the Innovation Act is drawing some powerful opposition – and not just from patent trolls.
At WTO Next Week: GI Register, Plain Packaging, Women In Innovation 19/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The next meeting of the World Trade Organization intellectual property committee is expected to include discussions on women and innovation, and concerns about legislative efforts in the United Kingdom and Ireland to introduce plan packaging for tobacco products. Prior to the meeting, informal consultations will be held on the negotiating issue of an international register for geographical indications (GIs) for wines and spirits.
The Year In Biotech/Biodiversity: Patentability, Plant Varieties, Treaty Implementation 16/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Intellectual property-related developments expected this year could profoundly impact the fields of biotechnology and biodiversity. In addition, ongoing issues relating to plant variety protection and public health are expected to be at the forefront of discussions this year. The following is a look at many of the top issues to come.
Geneva Climate Change Talks Conclude With Formal Negotiating Text 13/02/2015 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Following seven days of negotiations, 194 nations convened in Geneva agreed the negotiating text that is the basis for the accord they hope to reach in Paris at the end of 2015, to come into effect in 2020.
UK Defence Science And Tech Lab To Offer IP Royalty-Free Licences 11/02/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has announced it will participate in a plan for sharing some of its intellectual property for research royalty-free, making it the first United Kingdom government agency to do so.
United States, Japan To Join International Design System At WIPO 11/02/2015 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment On 13 February, the United States and Japan will deposit their instruments of accession to the Geneva Act of July 2, 1999 (the Geneva Act) of the WIPO’s Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (the Hague Agreement). A ceremony will be held at the World Intellectual Property Organization, which manages the agreement.
Copyright Policy And The Right To Science And Culture 09/02/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Reposted from Afro-IP and infojustice.org: A report entitled ‘Copyright policy and the right to science and culture’ authored by the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Farida Shaheed, has been released, writes Prof. Carolyn Ncube.
ANEPI IP News: Tres Cerveceros Y Una Marca (Three Brewers And A Brand) 09/02/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Welcome to (ANEPI), the first Intellectual Property News Agency of Ecuador. The Agencia de Noticias Especializada en Propiedad Intelectual (ANEPI) publishes news, analysis, interviews, feature articles, a weekly update and more on Ecuador and the region, at http://www.anepi.ec. Articles are primarily in Spanish with some translation. Bienvenido a (ANEPI), La Primera Agencia de Noticias de […]
US Challenges For Biotech In 2015 – An Interview With BIO’s Hans Sauer 06/02/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The biotechnology industry is closely watching developments in the United States that could impact the industry in 2015. These include the regulatory framework for biosimilars, possible patent legislation, post-grant review procedure, and the consequences of the recent Supreme Court ruling banning the patenting of human genes. Hans Sauer, Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), recently spoke with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez. Sauer was asked to lay out the main developments to watch in the coming year.
Unlimited Potential: The Innovation Renaissance Is Now 05/02/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Patrick Kilbride At no other time in history has humanity enjoyed such a boundless period of innovation. The human experience is literally changing day-to-day as new medicines and new technologies create solutions to seemingly insurmountable global challenges such as poverty, hunger, disease, and climate change. This 21st century innovation renaissance could not be more […]