US Report: Foreign-Owned Firms Dominate IP Industries 06/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A majority of leading firms in IP-related industries are foreign-owned, according to a new report, which argues that this should change the focus of US policymakers on domestic IP protection.
“Works For Hire” A Key Issue As Music Stars Begin Terminating Copyright Transfers 05/03/2013 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Courts in the United States are beginning to interpret a Copyright Act of 1976 provision allowing authors of protected works to terminate their rights assignments beginning this year. Intellectual property attorneys appear to differ over the importance of the recent rulings, but they agree that the battle line in termination cases between the recording industry and artists will be drawn over whether or not a piece of music was created for hire.
Monsanto v. Bowman: Stocktaking After Supreme Court Hearings 05/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the case opposing a US farmer to agro-industry giant Monsanto on the issue of patent exhaustion in patented seeds. Lead lawyers in the case and others offered comments on the heels of the hearing, while the Supreme Court Justices are considering the arguments and are expected to reach a decision sometime this spring.
Coalition Asks US Congress For Action On “Patent Trolls” 28/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In an open letter to the US Congress House of Representatives Judiciary Committee today (27 February), a coalition of agencies, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators, urged Congress to take action against “patent trolls, non-practicing patent-holding entities.
Obama Administration Announces New Open Access Policy 26/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has issued a new policy memorandum increasing public access to federally funded scientific research, including peer-reviewed publications and digital data.
Report Finds Stronger Regulation Spurs Chemical Innovation 26/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments New research shows that more rigid laws regulating hazardous chemicals encourage innovation in both large and small companies, according to a report published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL).
Web-Based IP Assessment Tool Gets Update From USPTO 25/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today released an updated version of their web-based intellectual property assessment tool, which aims to make small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more aware of their IP assests.
Google’s Anti-Piracy Measures Not Enough, Recording Industry Says 21/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) today in a report accused Google of not doing enough to stop Internet users from accessing websites repeatedly accused of copyright infringement.
Patent Outsourcing May Harm US Economy 18/02/2013 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments It has become routine for companies to outsource many business functions. Human resources, customer service, accounting, manufacturing of components – all have been outsourced. Now, however, a growing number of US businesses are outsourcing something new: patent licensing. And this outsourcing may hurt both the US economy and its patent system.
Monsanto, Myriad: Two US Legal Cases Shaking Biotech Industries 18/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The biotechnology industry has growing concerns over decisions to be taken this year by the United States Supreme Court in two cases involving the patenting of human genes and the exhaustion of patent rights in the context of easily reproducible products. Several areas of biotechnology could be affected by unfavourable decisions, provoking legal uncertainty and discouraging innovation, industry representatives said in a recent telephone conference. In the meantime, civil society stands fast in opposition.