Deferred Examination: A Solution Whose Time Has Come 12/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments With over 1 million patent applications backlogged at the US Patent & Trademark Office, IBM legal counsel Steven Bennett and David Kappos urge adoption of a deferred examination process, which they argue will benefit USPTO, applicants and the public.
Lamy Restarts Informal WTO Process On Proposals On IP And Biodiversity, GI Extension 12/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy on Wednesday kicked off informal talks on two key intellectual property issues that have been stalled by disagreements on the forum and mandate for their discussion.
ICANN To IP Experts: Come Back With A Solution For Internet Trademark Protection 12/03/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Trademark issues are emerging with the upcoming introduction of new generic top-level domains on the internet, and the board members of the body introducing the names has passed the ball back to intellectual property experts to find answers.
WTO Review Finds Brazil Progressing On Trade Policy, IP Rights Protection 11/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Brazil, once criticised for lax intellectual property rights protection, has been stepping up implementation and enforcement of international IP rules in recent years, a World Trade Organization body announced Wednesday. But some major rights-holding nations urged the government to undertake further work.
WIPO Faces Possible Negative Annual Income Despite Record Trademark Filings 10/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization is facing the possibility of negative income for the first time in its history, the United Nations agency’s director general said Monday. Director General Francis Gurry made the remarks during a press conference on its annual report on trademark filings at WIPO in 2008 that showed a new record high for trademark registrations but signs of a slowdown late in the year.
Administrative Patent Validity Determinations If The Proposed US Patent Reform Act Of 2009 Passes 09/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On 3 March, 2009, bills were introduced in the US Congress setting forth the proposed “Patent Reform Act of 2009”. The legislation proposes significant changes to post-issuance proceedings available to challenge patents in the United States. US attorneys Matthew A. Smith, Stephen B. Maebius and Jon W. Dudas argue the proposed legislation will be a step toward improving patent quality.
WTO Session Tackles Details Of Future Register Of GI Products 06/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A World Trade Organization group tasked with creating a register for highly protected names of wines and spirits associated with geographical locations buckled down Thursday to a technical discussion on what it would look like. The focus on these issues sidestepped some broader political questions that have delayed these talks, but fundamental disagreements also remain over the register’s parameters.
Alarm Escalates Over Delayed Generic Drug Shipments As Action Sought 06/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Health advocates on Friday escalated their alarm over recent seizures by the Dutch government of shipments of legitimate generic pharmaceuticals passing through Europe on their way to developing countries. The European Commission has defended its actions as permissible under its own and international rules, but is being asked to look more carefully at those rules.
WHO Launches Online Hearing On Innovative Funding Sources For R&D 06/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization is soliciting new ideas for funding sources to stimulate research and development on diseases predominantly afflicting developing countries, with some in developed countries. The web-based public hearing, being held online from 7 March to 15 April, will contribute to an intergovernmental mandate to come up with ways to address the shortage of research in this areas.
Concerns Continue Over Generic Drug Seizures As Legality Debates Begin 05/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 2 Comments Developing nations led by Brazil and India, along with public health providers and advocates, this week continue to press strong concern over seizures of legitimate shipments of generic pharmaceuticals destined for poor patients in the developing world. Raising the issue at the World Trade Organization again, they say new research into numerous shipments of legitimate drugs delayed by authorities in the Netherlands have elevated doubts and may mean potentially thousands of patients put at risk.