German Hate Speech Legislation Receives Mixed Review At German Internet Governance Forum 28/11/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment BERLIN — Germany’s controversial hate speech legislation is working well, a representative of the German Ministry of Justice said during a panel today (27 November) at the German national Internet Governance Forum in Berlin.
A Look At The Proposed EU IP Exception To Promote Generic, Biosimilar Industry Competitiveness 16/11/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Commission has proposed an exception to the extended period of patent protection that the European Union provides to original drug manufacturers for certain products, in order to boost the competitiveness of EU generic and biosimilar industries in global markets. The exception will allow EU generic and biosimilar companies to manufacture protected drugs for export during this patent extension period. Stakeholders are so far unhappy with the exception. Meanwhile, studies analyse its potential economic impacts and legal implications, and the Commission remains confident that safeguards it is putting in place will keep the lower-priced medicines from making their way back into the EU.
EU High Court Rejection Of Copyrights For Food Tastes Worries Rights Holders 15/11/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A food’s taste cannot be pinned down with enough precision and objectivity to make it copyrightable under EU law, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said on 13 November. The decision creates a new standard that could be applied to all European copyright works, but would likely be the same under US law, intellectual property lawyers said.
New EU Directive Limits Hate Speech, Establishes European Content Quotas 06/11/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new directive adopted today by European Union member governments updates and strengthens regulations on video-sharing platforms and other newer forms of media, emphasising the public interest, elevating protections for children, and establishing a 30 percent quota of European content in on-demand audiovisual media services.
Group Proposes Regulating Internet Hate Speech Through Decentralisation 01/11/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment French advocacy group La Quadrature du Net has declared recent French government plans to regulate internet hate speech insufficient, and is calling for more in-depth reforms. These could include the promotion of alternative social media platforms and a decentralised approach to regulation, according to an organisation press release.
Interview With Catherine Chammartin, Director General Of The Swiss Federal Institute Of Intellectual Property 29/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Catherine Chammartin is the Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). A former specialist in international tax policy, she took office at IPI in November 2015. In an exclusive interview with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez, she explained the priorities of the office under her leadership, and the office’s contribution to the success of Switzerland’s innovation record.
US Interference In EU SPC Manufacturing Waiver “Unacceptable,” Says EU Generic Industry Group 24/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Generics industry group Medicines for Europe has declared United States interference in the European Union legislative process on the supplementary protection certificate (SPC) manufacturing waiver “unacceptable,” and an attempt to “influence the outcome of this EU legislative proposal.”
EPO Names Three New Vice-Presidents, From UK, Germany, Austria 11/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Patent Office today announced the appointment of three new vice-presidents, related to patent granting, legal and international affairs, and corporate services. The appointees come from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
EU Updates Customs Action Plan To Fight Growing IPR Infringements 10/10/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Concerned by the ever-increasing influx of counterfeit and pirated goods into Europe, European Union member states on 9 October backed a new customs action plan for 2018-2022. The first step will be a roadmap for implementation from the European Commission (EC) by next spring.
US, EU Consumer Group Releases Resolution Calling To Delink R&D From Monopoly Incentives 20/09/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), a forum of United States and European Union consumer organisations, yesterday released a resolution calling on policymakers “to break out of the current dysfunctional and harmful trade-off between innovation and access,” and to delink research and development (R&D) from monopoly pricing.