USPTO Finalises Rules For ‘First-Inventor-To-File’ System Switch 13/02/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today published final rules of practice implementing the “first-inventor-to-file” provision of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). This comes just days after a change in patent fees.
Intellectual Ventures Sues Internet Providers For DSL Patent Infringement 12/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Intellectual Ventures, a patent holding company, has filed a patent infringement suit against DSL providers AT&T, CenturyLink and Windstream Communications.
US Justice Department Reaches Settlement In E-Books Case 08/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Department of Justice today announced it has reached a settlement with Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, for allegedly conspiring with Apple Inc. to raise e-book prices.
New Textbook On Copyright Law For Librarians 08/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Copyright for Librarians (CFL), an online open curriculum on copyright law, has launched a new textbook aimed at providing librarians in developing and transition countries with general information concerning copyright law in addition to the aspects of the law that most affect libraries.
Fate Of Google Book Search Still To Come, Expert Says 08/02/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A few years ago, internet giant Google had the idea to digitise tens of millions of the world’s books and ran into legal trouble with the publishers and authors of some of them. The cases have moved through many stages, but the ultimate fate of the massive amounts of knowledge it could have made available to the public is still to come, says a Washington, DC lawyer who has followed the case closely for years.
Tracking IP Influencers’ Latest Moves 07/02/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment From changes in policymaking leadership and staffing shake-ups to a flurry of hiring in law firms and new strategic alliances, the past few months have been an interesting time for IP people watching. With over 40 news items and over 80 names, here’s a substantial update on who’s who across governments, nonprofit organisations, and the private sector.
Upcoming Law Summit To Address IP Management, Enforcement 04/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The 15th IP Law Summit, produced by Marcus Evans, is scheduled for 21-23 March in Colorado Springs, Colorado, US. Gathering corporate senior IP Counsel together with service providers, the Summit will offer a focused discussion of cutting-edge technology, strategy and products driving the IP marketplace.
WTO: Antigua To Retaliate Against US By Suspending IP Rights Protection 28/01/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments After years of unsuccessful negotiations between nations, the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body today gave Antigua and Barbuda the right to impose sanctions against the United States for blocking online gambling. The US was found in violation of WTO rules in 2007 and has failed to resolve the issue, so the Caribbean nation was given the right to retaliate in an area that is likely to force a US response – lifting US intellectual property rights.
Company Takes A Fair Shot At Facebook, LinkedIn, With Social Networking Patents 15/01/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A Virginia-based company in the midst of a multi-million dollar merger is asserting patents on fundamental aspects of social networking it says have been infringed by Facebook, LinkedIn and three other companies. But even if the patents have validity, they come at a time of what may be a backlash against such lawsuits.
UNITAID Wins Rights To Internet Domain Names 11/01/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Unitaid, the drug purchasing facility affiliated with the UN World Health Organization, has won the rights to a series of internet domain names using its name, including unitaid.org. A World Intellectual Property Organization dispute panel found the names had been registered by a private party with the apparent intent of demanding a significant payment from the well-funded Unitaid.