New US Broadband Internet Plan Scrutinised; Cybersecurity Bill Includes IP 17/03/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment The United States Federal Communications Commission’s newly released plan to expand broadband internet access within the country was well-received from several sides of the digital rights debate, with some questions. Separately, a new cybersecurity bill introduced in the US Congress today includes measures to protect intellectual property rights.
Indian Civil Society Raises Concerns Over US Industry-Sponsored IP Summits 11/03/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Public interest groups in India are raising questions over annual summits involving Indian judges and policymakers that are being funded by major western industry groups, in particular pharmaceutical companies. At this year’s summit, held recently, a section of India’s patent law which prevents the extension of monopoly power for incremental innovations came under attack, the groups have said.
New US Senate Patent Reform Bill Brings Many Reactions 11/03/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Reactions have emerged since last week’s release by United States Senate Judiciary Committee bipartisan leaders of details of compromise legislation to reform of US patent laws. Most are generally positive, signalling that a long-sought compromise might be near, but strong reservations remain among some stakeholders.
US On International Trade Crusade With New Agenda 11/03/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The recently released US annual trade agenda shows an intention to conquer new international markets, strengthen the global trade system and enforce obligations and US intellectual property rights. The US also means to address what they consider as trade barriers. [Update: President Obama spoke on the trade agenda today, more below.]
Leading IP Offices Target Patent Backlog, Economy; Differ On Harmonisation 10/03/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The backlog in patent processing could impose £7.6 billion (about USD$11.3 billion) in annual expenses on the global economy within the next five years if nothing is done to fix it, according to a new economics study from the United Kingdom released this morning before directors of several top global intellectual property offices.
Interview With Bill Pollock, Founder Of No Starch Press 10/03/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Bill Pollock is the president and founder of No Starch Press, which publishes books on computing. Known to offer the “finest in geek entertainment,” the publishing house has released such titles as “Steal This Computer Book,” “How Linux Works,” “Hacking: The Art of Exploitation,” “The Cult of Mac,” and “The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide.” Its books are largely about hacking, open source, security, programming, and non-Windows-based operating systems, such as Linux. Mr. Pollock shared his thoughts with Intellectual Property Watch about hacking, piracy, and future of the book publishing business.
Google, ITU Address Policies Of Global Internet Freedom 09/03/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments A representative of Google and of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union today spoke of internet freedom in repressive regimes and censorship in Western democracies.
Electronics Manufacturers Use US Legal System to Thwart Hardware ‘Hacks’ 09/03/2010 by Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Electronics manufacturers are taking legal action against users in the United States who communicate how to unlock or “hack” hardware devices. However, manufacturers’ use of their hired legal guns to crack down on hacking, which they say infringes on their intellectual property ownership rights, is a point of debate.
Submissions To US Unilateral IP Enforcement Process Highlight Piracy, Health, and ACTA 05/03/2010 by Catherine Saez and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Submissions to the United States annual review of how well it says the rest of the world is protecting US intellectual property are being assessed this week, with marked changes from previous years.
New Senate Patent Reform Bill Details Released 04/03/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments United States Senate Judiciary Committee bipartisan leaders today released details of much-anticipated compromise legislation aimed at reform of US patent laws. The new bill ostensibly makes significant steps toward resolving longstanding differences in legislative efforts to modernise US law for patent quality and efficiency, and make it more compatible with international laws.