US Patent Reform Legislation Progressing; Committee To Reconvene Next Week 26/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The committee of the United States Senate drafting legislation to reform the US patent system made little progress at a meeting Thursday, according to sources, but adopted a bipartisan amendment and scheduled to reconvene next week to continue work.
Are Patent Exceptions Necessary For Climate Change Technology? Defining WIPO’s Role 26/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Addressing the challenge of climate change will require technological solutions and the dissemination of those solutions to as many users as possible. A panel at the World Intellectual Property Organization Tuesday asked how intellectual property law might help or hinder that transfer, and what role the organisation might play in creating the right policy.
Concerns Voiced At WIPO Over Potential Conflicts Between IP And Standards 25/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Regulatory caution on technology standards and intellectual property rights is increasingly necessary, as technology – and the need for interoperability between platforms – dominates the market economy as well as global communications, said a panel on patents and standards Monday.
Patent Meeting Debates Linkages With Development; Exceptions & Limitations 24/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Questions on how to best to link patent law and development issues led the opening discussion at this week’s World Intellectual Property Organization meeting on patent law. A WIPO study on exceptions and limitations was discussed Monday and Tuesday, with talk turning towards whether a third party examination of the issue was needed.
Parties Accept WTO Dispute Settlement Report On China IP Protection 24/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A final decision on a World Trade Organization case over intellectual property rights protection between China and the United States was accepted by the states Friday, with both claiming its arbiter had affirmed their positions.
European Patent Office: Patent Applications Slow As Rejections Rise 21/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a trend appearing in other patent offices around the world, patent applications at the European Patent Office continued to rise in 2008, but at a slower rate toward the end of year. At the EPO, this was coupled with the lowest percentage of granted patents in its history.
WIPO Patent Committee To Consider Four New Reports, Global Challenges 20/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The committee on patents at the World Intellectual Property Organization is set to be re-energised next week as it tackles four new reports, and addresses an ongoing question of the relationship of patent rights to wider policy issues on climate change and other environmental issues, public health, and food security.
Agricultural Technology Could Feed Rising Population, But Who Will Own Crops? 20/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and Catherine Saez 3 Comments The genetic revolution has come to food, as debates over how to deal with future pressures of population and climate change look to agricultural technology in hope of answers. But questions still remain over who owns the technology, who will do the research, and what forms of – and even whether – biotechnology is appropriate to human needs and the needs of smallholding farmers.
WIPO, UNCITRAL Team Up On IP And Finance 20/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Officials from two lawyerly United Nations agencies met recently to discuss their roles and build cooperation in intellectual property finance, especially in light of the global economic crisis.
UKIPO: Copyright Owners And Internet Providers, Please Regulate Yourselves! 18/03/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office on Monday published a proposal for a “rights agency” that would tackle problems related to digital copyright. The envisioned agency that would be managed and funded by rights owners and take up a two-fold task by facilitating the creation of a digital market and preventing and reducing online piracy.