UK Music Groups Seek Copyright Licences and Levies for Digital Content 13/07/2006 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The United Kingdom independent music sector wants content distributors to pay creators for transmitting their works over the Internet, mobile phones and other devices. At a 12 July London roundtable headed by the Association of Independent Music (AIM), indie labels, composers, songwriters, musicians, managers, publishers and collecting societies […]
EU Commissioner To Boost IP Focus, Seek Last Push For Community Patent 13/07/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BRUSSELS – The European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Charlie McCreevy, this week said he will pay “particular attention” to intellectual property rights during the coming year, including one last drive to create a European Community patent. “I will go for one big last push for the Community patent,” he told a 12 July […]
European Commission Fines Microsoft €280.5 Million In Antitrust Case 12/07/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BRUSSELS – The European Commission today fined Microsoft €280.5 million ($356.35 million) for failing to comply with a 2004 Commission request to provide documents that would make it easier for other companies to develop products that would be interoperable with Microsoft’s products. This is the first time in the European Union’s 49-year-long history that it […]
EU IP Enforcement Directive Questioned On Procedure 11/07/2006 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Procedural questions could kill a proposed European Union directive aimed at fighting theft of products, patents and copyrights, after the Dutch Parliament raised jurisdictional objections last week. At issue is the planned EU directive on criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights [COM(2006) 168 […]
EU Flags Geographical Indications In WTO Trade Talks Paper 22/06/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a new European Union communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the ongoing agriculture negotiations, the EU has moved its call for higher intellectual property rights protection for product names deriving from geographical locations to the top of its list of demands. At issue is Europe’s wish to better protect its geographical indications […]
France Forges Ahead With Copyright Law 16/05/2006 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The French Senate on 10 May approved legislation aimed at aligning the country’s intellectual property law with the European Union Copyright Directive. The Senate package differs in several key respects from the one adopted in March by the National Assembly but is equally controversial, stakeholders said. The Senate-passed […]
EPO Completes First Part Of Its 2020 Scenario Project 11/05/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Patent Office (EPO) recently completed the first phase of a “scenario for the future” project that will analyse the future of the intellectual property system with a 2020 horizon and try to determine the implications for Europe in particular. While the scenario project itself was launched about a year ago, the EPO has […]
Universities See “Disastrous Effects” For Education, Science In German Copyright Reform 30/03/2006 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch A German scientist who would like to read an online book owned by another department of his university soon may have to travel to the department and read it on site instead if a proposed copyright law is passed. “I will not be able to just use our […]
Sign Of The (Digital) Times: France’s Struggle With A New Copyright Law 18/03/2006 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Editor’s Note: The National Assembly adopted the legislation on 21 March by a vote of 286 in favour and 193 against. It will now go to the Senate in May, according to reports. In the global search to find a balance between copyright protection and consumer rights in […]
L’industrie se prépare à un deuxième « round » sur la directive de l’UE en matière de brevetabilité 22/02/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment PRAGUE – Les groupes industriels pro-brevets, qui ont investi des sommes considérables pour influencer les débats au sein de l’Europe sur un projet de directive – finalement rejeté – en matière de brevetabilité des inventions mises en oeuvre par ordinateur, tirent des leçons de leurs erreurs et se préparent à une éventuelle reprise des négociations […]