TTIP: EU Commissioner Points Finger At US Secrecy, Investor-State Provisions 02/04/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments A number of problems with investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) were outlined by legal experts during a 1 April hearing in Brussels of the International Trade Committee (INTA) of the European Parliament in its last session before the European elections. And the European trade commissioner said he would agree to open the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks and to drop ISDS from the TTIP if the United States would agree.
US Trade Barriers Report Highlights IPRs Among Top Concerns 01/04/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Trade Representative’s annual report on barriers to US exports contains many references to intellectual property rights issues. These include latest topics of debate such as the treatment of pharmaceutical patents in India, online piracy in Russia, and European-guided geographical indications laws in Latin America. It also highlights recent commitments by China on protection of pharmaceutical patents and trade secrets.
“Innocence of Muslims” Creates Copyright Controversy In US 31/03/2014 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment When “Innocence of Muslims” first appeared online, the video provoked outrage among millions of Muslims around the world. Now the consternation has spread to many copyright experts, internet firms, news organisations, and entertainment companies, who assert that a recent 9th Circuit decision about the movie makes a major change in US copyright law, with terrible consequences for the internet, media, and free speech. Others state that the ruling makes no change at all in US law.
Alleged Leaked EU Analysis Sheds Light On TTIP Negotiations On IP 28/03/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments An alleged leaked analysis by the European Union provides insight into the intellectual property section of the draft Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States. And separately, the US International Trade Commission released a report on trade barriers that US small businesses perceive in exporting to Europe.
US Defends Investor-State Provisions; EU Promotes TTIP Consultation 27/03/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Investor-state provisions in trade and investment agreements, which allow private companies to sue governments for policies taken that undermine the companies’ investment expectations, have come under recent scrutiny for their potential to undermine the public interest. Today, the United States Trade Representative published a blog post defending these provisions, while the European Union opened a public consultation on the provisions in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US.
US Corporate IP Counsel Hear Latest Updates On Patent System 24/03/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – “This is a very, very exciting time be in patent law,” Drew Hirshfeld, deputy commissioner for patent examination policy at the US Patent and Trademark Office, told a group of intellectual property lawyers last week. In his keynote address to the 19-20 March Corporate IP Counsel meeting in Manhattan, Hirshfeld and a range of private sector speakers laid out a picture of a highly dynamic field, with legal and business opportunities and challenges changing every day.
NTIA Seeks “Solid Proposal” On IANA Transition To Reassure US Stakeholders 21/03/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Lawrence Strickling, the United States assistant secretary of Commerce, today called on the internet community to come up with a “solid proposal” for the transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), from the US to a new multi-stakeholder oversight model. IANA is responsible for changes made to the internet domain name system.
UN Praises US Pullback Of Internet Control 20/03/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations Secretary General and head of the UN International Telecommunication Union earlier this week applauded an announcement by the United States government that it plans to relinquish its remaining control over the internet domain name system.
How To Safeguard Trade Secrets: Think ROI 17/03/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Amid intensifying competition in the global economy, companies rely more heavily than ever on the advantages of trade secrets. This critical proprietary information includes, for example, market research, product plans, unique formulas and manufacturing methods, computer code and customer data – knowledge that companies build through years of hard work, experience and investment, writes Pamela Passman.
US Claims Final Separation From Privileged Internet Oversight 15/03/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Obama administration has announced a decision to make a last step towards completing privatisation of internet core infrastructure oversight, namely the central root zone of the domain name system. But it is not clear what this will mean for international efforts to increase intergovernmental control over the internet.