US Congress Members Demand Access To TPP; ACTA Criticised In Australia 27/06/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment More than 130 members of the United States Congress have sent a letter to the US Trade Representative demanding greater access to the still-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, while a new bill is being introduced to reform US trade policy. And another Congress member who earlier publicly leaked the intellectual property rights chapter of the agreement has sent a request to be included as a member of the US delegation to the negotiations.
UK Issues Tougher Draft Code For Online Copyright Infringement 26/06/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments United Kingdom communications regulator Ofcom today published three documents on digital copyright infringement, including a draft code requiring large internet service providers (ISPs) to inform customers of allegations that their internet connection has been used to infringe copyright, and consultations on the code and on cost-sharing.
A Bigger, Meaner Patent War 25/06/2012 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment It’s been called a patent war, and it’s raging over much of the globe. In at least ten countries – including the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and South Korea – Apple is locked in ferocious legal battles against Google, Samsung and HTC over whose smartphones and tablets infringe whose patents. There’s a lot a stake: Damages could run into billions of dollars. Even worse, the loser could wind up being forbidden to sell its products in various markets. This costly, high-stakes global patent war may seem unprecedented. But according to many experts, that’s only partly true. In many ways, this patent war is similar to major patent disputes in the past. And it is likely a foretaste of more patent wars in the future.
Rio+20 Climate Talks Finish With Little IP; Flexibilities Under Fire 25/06/2012 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments RIO DE JANEIRO – Many of the technologies that can make the world more sustainable are available today. But how to transfer such green technologies to those most in need of them remains a question on which there are starkly divergent views – even after last week’s much-anticipated Rio+20 leaders’ summit.
ITU Tries To Send A Clearer Signal On Global Telecom Talks 23/06/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The UN International Telecommunication Union is conducting constructive and potentially lucrative negotiations to update global telecommunications regulations, but the message keeps getting garbled in public fora, ITU officials said.
Corporate Leader Fadi Chehadé Named ICANN Head 22/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The next president and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was named today.
EBU Issues Declaration On Public Service Media 22/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) today issued a declaration in support of public service media’s role in society, including as a driver of innovation and a trusted independent voice.
Internet Freedom At Home: Governments, Companies Need Accountability, Speakers Say 22/06/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The freedom to access the internet does not translate into freedom of expression in many countries of the world, including in western economies, according to speakers at a peer forum organised yesterday by the United States mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
BIO Releases Consultant Report Promoting IP Rights 21/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At its annual meeting this week in Boston, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), put its name to a report promoting the advantages of intellectual property rights for the industry.
US-EU Transatlantic Trade Deal Would Skip IPRs 21/06/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 15 Comments The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday released an interim report with the European Union on ways to expand transatlantic trade and investment. But apparently this would not including trying to bridge differences on intellectual property rights.