WIPO Announces New Policy On Assistance To North Korea, Iran 19/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization today announced a new policy for dealing with countries sanctioned under the United Nations and has discontinued the provision of computer hardware to countries such as North Korea and Iran. It said its past assistance is being reviewed by relevant UN sanctions committees, but that it believes it was not in violation.
IP Exchange ‘Getting Some Teeth’; First Offerings Likely In Autumn 19/07/2012 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new system to more effectively licence technology and facilitate the trading of intellectual property rights will come online later this year – and an increasing number of countries are taking notice.
Texts On Broadcasting, Copyright Education Exceptions, Metamorphise At WIPO 18/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee today received a large compilation text of proposals on limitations and exceptions for education and research, and promptly set about totally reworking it. They also reopened negotiations on a broadcasters’ rights treaty based on a new comparative table of proposals which they quickly deemed in need of redrafting. On broadcasting, the United States reopened a debate over whether the treaty should cover internet transmissions.
Dominican Republic Files WTO Case Over Australian Tobacco Packaging 18/07/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Dominican Republic, a strong tobacco producer, today notified the World Trade Organization that it has launched a dispute settlement case against Australia over its new law requiring tobacco to be sold in plain packaging in order to discourage its use for public health reasons.
Considering Canada’s Supreme Court Decisions In This Week’s WIPO Proceedings 18/07/2012 by Nancy Situ for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments As members of the international intellectual property community prepare for their third day of the 24th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), they are told to keep the spirit of Beijing alive, referring to the recently concluded Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. However, there is reason to keep another country’s spirit in copyright law in mind as well. Last week, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down five critically important copyright judgments that may very well colour the proposals made by member states at the SCCR.
EU, UK Announce Plans To Open Access To Scientific Research 17/07/2012 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Commission has announced plans to ease access to scientific research results, paving the way for what it hopes will be greater innovation and a higher return on its multi-billion euro annual research and development investment. And it was preceded one day by a similar plan in the United Kingdom.
New Proposals At WIPO Show Global Debate On Limitations And Exceptions To Copyright 17/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments New proposals for a text put forward today at the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee show the state of the global debate over limitations and exceptions to copyright for education and research.
More Copyright Treaties Sprouting At WIPO 16/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Flush with the success of last month’s agreement on a new treaty on audiovisual performances, World Intellectual Property Organization members this week are propagating other possible legal instruments on aspects of copyright. Mainly under consideration this week are exceptions to copyright, along with broadcasters’ rights, and on the first day of the meeting, new proposals emerged on exceptions for educational and research institutions.
ITU Cautious On Transparency Of New Telecom Regulations 16/07/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The UN International Telecommunication Union will publish the draft document for the future International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) and open a website for public comments on the much-debated document. But some hoped for more.
Industry Groups Press For EU, US Action On Trade Secret Protection 16/07/2012 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Theft of trade secrets, or “confidential business information,” has reached such an appalling level that legislative action is needed, industry groups say. They’re pushing the European Union and United States to get involved, and may be making headway.