ARIPO, Japan Government To Train 1,000 People In IP Systems In Africa 29/09/2017 by Maina Waruru for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The government of Japan, in partnership with the African Region Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), has begun implementation of a project meant to train 1,000 people across Africa in intellectual property systems. The World Intellectual Property Organization also plays a role.
Case Shows European Luxury Brands Must Be Popular In Japan To Be Protected There 29/09/2017 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a recent decision, the Opposition Board of the Japan Patent Office dismissed an opposition filed by CFUB Sisley, a French producer of cosmetics and fragrances founded in 1976, against the word mark “SISLOY” written in a standard character. The case shows that the status of European luxury brand will not automatically enjoy broader scope of protection in Japan unless the brand obtains a high degree of popularity and reputation among Japanese consumers, writes Masaki Mikami.
New EU Commission Guidelines On Illegal Content Online Clarify Liability For Online Platforms 28/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Commission today issued guidelines for removing illegal content online, largely following the lines of existing rules and guidance, but hinting at a possible future move to harmonise practices in this area. Technology companies breathed in relief as the communication did not appear to reduce their protection against liability for content carried on their networks and devices, though it did provide extensive clarification on the liability exemption.
How USPTO Patent Reviews Became Imperiled 28/09/2017 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Initially, the lawsuit was widely viewed as a waste of time. The suit asserted a strained legal argument that already had been rejected twice by federal appellate panels, in 1985 and 1992. Yet this lawsuit, Oil States Energy Services v. Greene’s Energy Group, has now reached the US Supreme Court. So later this term, the high court will decide whether the US Constitution prevents the US Patent and Trademark Office from ever striking down issued patents.
Disparity In Access To Medicines Spurs “Humanitarian” Patent Licensing 28/09/2017 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment “There are shameful access disparities around the world” to life-saving medicines, Harvard University Global Access in Action project Co-Director Quentin Palfrey said at a 26 September Center for Strategic and International Studies event in Washington, DC. And while some of the challenges to fuller access involve pricing, getting medicines to poorer countries or populations means overcoming the obstacles of insufficient research and development (R&D) incentives, access barriers and polarised politics, he said.
Four Stages To Monetizing A Patent Portfolio 28/09/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Martin Bijman, Director, Intellectual Property Products , TechInsights Successfully pursuing the monetization of IP assets requires an accurate assessment of their value and position within the marketplace. Essentially, monetizing a patent portfolio includes four key steps: Developing an accurate assessment of the current value of the portfolio Understanding the trends within the portfolio based […]
Use Competition Law For Wider Access To Cheap Medicines? 27/09/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The topic of access to medicines has gained momentum in recent years as high prices of new medicines affect developing countries and developed countries. The role of competition legislation in preventing market abuses and monopoly situations has been pointed to as a possible lever to facilitate access to generic medicines and balance the potential negative effects of intellectual property protection.
Initiative Aims At Using New Technologies To Reinvigorate International Trade 27/09/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As protectionism tempts some, the International Chamber of Commerce Brazil is launching an initiative to bring new technologies to the rescue of international trade. The new digital age holds promise and is inevitable, but requires solid policymaking and improvement in such areas as education and broadband coverage to deliver on its possibilities, panellists at the World Trade Organization Public Forum said today.
UN Technology Bank To Build IP Infrastructure In LDCs; Private Sector Funds Needed 27/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NEW YORK — A new United Nations Technology Bank for least-developed countries aimed at growing technology transfer and intellectual property infrastructure across the 48 poorest nations became operational at last week’s annual UN General Assembly in New York. The bank’s creation represents the first target of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved.
G7 ICT Ministers: Free Data Flows, More Access To Data, But IP Protection Nevertheless 26/09/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Openness, security and the support for innovation through the empowerment of small and medium companies are the three core points of the joint statement of the G7 ICT Ministers after their two-day meeting in Turin, Italy ending today. While the host, Italian Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda, heavily underlined the need to avoid in digitalisation policies the mistakes made in globalisation, many topics of the final statement point to highly familiar commitments, with better protection of intellectual property being one.