No Deal For Now On WIPO Design Treaty, Patent Law Work Plan 08/10/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization this week could not agree on a work plan for the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP), leading to a likely postponement of the next committee meeting. In addition, the annual WIPO General Assemblies failed to agree to hold a diplomatic conference on a Design Law Treaty, but did agree on an expedited way forward. And the Assemblies took note of the work of the committees on standards and enforcement.
Experts Gather In Toronto To Assess ICANN And Internet Governance 07/10/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Public interest groups will join government officials, academics, attorneys, industry representatives and others in Toronto, Canada, on Friday, 12 October alongside the meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to discuss ICANN’s involvement in internet governance issues such as security and freedom online.
OECD Report Shows Rise Of Internet Services 07/10/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Internet firms continue to drive global economic growth and job increases in the information technology sector, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found in a new report.
US Announces $2.4M In Local Grants To Combat IP Theft 04/10/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States government has announced the release of more than $2.4 million in grants to 13 US jurisdictions for stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights.
WIPO 2012 Assembly Opens With Talk Of More Treaties 02/10/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 1 Comment Citing changing trends in intellectual property and the rise of IP as a major economic driver, the World Intellectual Property Organization, sounding upbeat after the well-received Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, is setting its sights on the conclusion of three long-delayed treaties.
On TPP Secrecy, US And Five Others Decline To Answer UN 01/10/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The nine countries asked by a United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur to respond to a complaint over the alleged secret and bureaucratic negotiations for the draft Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement either failed to respond or defended the backdoor talks, according to the advocacy group Knowledge Ecology International (KEI).
WIPO General Assemblies Face Big Questions, Small Details 30/09/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Representatives of the nearly 200 members of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization – as well as industry and non-governmental groups – will gather this week for their annual meeting. In addition to IP policy issues, there are expected to be discussions about the development expenditures, the budget and organisational performance and the internal workings of the organisation, including audit procedures and problems with the construction of new buildings.
WTO Dispute Panel Formed On Australia Tobacco Law 28/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body today established a panel to review a complaint filed by Ukraine against Australia for a tobacco plain-packaging law aimed at discouraging tobacco use.
WIPO Director Calls For Efforts To Boost Viability Of Copyright 27/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry has issued a call for new efforts to ensure copyright remains viable and to win the hearts and minds of the public toward intellectual property rights. The comments came in a broader context of maintaining the relevance of the organisation on the eve of the annual WIPO General Assembly.
Move Toward New Pan-African IP Organisation Alarms Observers 27/09/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A seemingly remote African Union proposal to create a Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization appears to have gained momentum and will come before African science and technology ministers for review in early November, according to sources. A copy of the final draft statutes shows how the new body would operate, and for some observers, how it would elevate African IP standards well above current levels, with “disastrous consequences” for access, development, and human rights.