Amid Global Effort To Fill Internet Policy Gaps, India Proposes New UN Body 02/11/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment India has stirred some discussion with its recent proposal to create a new United Nations body for global internet-related policies. The proposal comes within the context of efforts by developed countries to build support for an open internet and by the UN to address gaps in global internet governance and increased unilateral moves to block content online.
USPTO, Small Businesses Talk Patent Reform, Harmonisation, Fee Diversion 02/11/2011 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is working to ensure small businesses and independent inventors have the tools they need to obtain, protect and enforce their patents overseas, as well as domestically, in the wake of patent reform legislation enacted in the United States. Meanwhile, the office is also stepping up global patent harmonisation efforts.
WIPO Talks On Industrial Design Treaty, Internet Intermediaries, Suspended Till 2012 02/11/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A meeting on trademarks and industrial designs at the World Intellectual Property Organization was cut short by an electrical fire last week. Before the unexpected interruption, delegates advanced work on a possible treaty on industrial designs and discussed the role and responsibility of internet intermediaries in the field of trademarks.
WHO’s Chan Pitches UN Agency’s “Staying Power,” Unique Role 01/11/2011 by William New and Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan today made a strident pitch to WHO member governments to invest in the well-known United Nations agency, citing several unique and essential aspects of the organisation. The WHO Executive Board is meeting this week to address major reform of the WHO, in part due to a severe funding shortage but reaching into its place in the global public health spectrum.
WHO Group Agrees On New Mechanism To Fight Poor-Quality Medicines 01/11/2011 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Health Organization-led working group of member states addressing “substandard/spurious/falsely-labelled/falsified/counterfeit” (SSFFC) medical products has reached consensus on a new mechanism to prevent and control SSFFC medical products and associated activities. The creation of the new mechanism comes as the future of WHO involvement in an interagency anti-counterfeiting taskforce is in question.
US Copyright Office Issues Analysis Of Mass Digitisation Of Books 01/11/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Copyright Office has released a preliminary analysis and discussion document on the intersection of copyright law and the mass digitization of books.
Tech Industry Sees Harm To Internet In US “Rogue Website” Bill 01/11/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Trade associations representing US technology industry interests this week attacked a new House of Representatives bill aimed at fighting so-called “rogue” websites, calling it “an alarming step backwards in internet policy” that would create “a thicket of internet regulations containing 16 new legal definitions for evolving internet technology.”
UNESCO Approves Palestinian Membership; US Faces Decision 31/10/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today approved Palestine as a member state, a move expected to force the United States to choose between withdrawal from UN agencies including the World Intellectual Property Organization, or removing a national law preventing the US from funding and participating in any organization with Palestine as a member.
US Elected Officials: IP Rights, Tech Markets Key For Russian WTO Accession 31/10/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The top members of the United States Congress for international trade policy have put intellectual property rights and information technology market access at the top of demands for Russia’s impending accession to the World Trade Organization.
Multiple Defendants In Patent Infringement Filing Under New US Law 28/10/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A company has filed a patent infringement complaint in the Eastern District of Texas that names 30 defendants, including some of the largest US technology companies, a case that reflects a change in US law as passed last month.