EU High Court Rejects Spain’s Challenge To Unitary Patent 05/05/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has announced it has dismissed challenges by Spain against the European Union unitary patent package, ostensibly clearing the way for an EU patent to go into effect next year.
Q&A With The EU On The Benefits Of Amending The Lisbon Agreement 05/05/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Next week, the 28 members of the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization are expected to conduct a high-level negotiating meeting to agree on a new Act of the agreement. Major changes expected are the inclusion of geographical indications in the agreement, and the possibility for international organisations such as the European Union to become members of the revised agreement.
Are You Looking To Sell Your Patent To Google? 01/05/2015 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment From 8-22 May, US online search giant Google will open a streamlined portal for patent owners to let Google know about patents they are willing to sell at a price they set.
Philanthropies And Expression: An Interview With Ford Foundation President Darren Walker 29/04/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Darren Walker is president of the Ford Foundation, one of the largest and historically most influential private philanthropies in the United States, dedicated to human welfare worldwide. Among its areas of focus are programs on freedom of expression and internet rights, extremely timely given current national and global events. Ford, along with four other leading foundations, and leaders from government, business and the technology community recently announced NetGain, a partnership to “spark the next generation of innovation for social change and progress.” Intellectual Property Watch’s William New recently interviewed Darren Walker on his vision for the foundation, internet governance, and the world at large.
A Cautious Welcome For South Africa’s Traditional Knowledge Legislation 29/04/2015 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment South Africa’s new indigenous knowledge systems legislation is being cautiously welcomed by commentators, expressing both hopes and concerns. And some are tying it to other intellectual property legislation in the country.
UAEM Grades US Universities On Research For Neglected Diseases. Spoiler Alert – There’s Room For Improvement 24/04/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Universities play an enormous role in biomedical research in the United States, but are not doing all they can to advance research for neglected diseases or make their innovations available to people who need them most, the student groupUniversities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) said this week. UAEM released the results of its second annual […]
Largest Internet Exchange Point Announces Complaint Against Snooping 24/04/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments MUNICH – It was a big day for counter-surveillance yesterday. Decix, the largest internet traffic exchange point (IXP) worldwide, announced it has had it with the snoops. Meanwhile, the Inquiry Committee came to the conclusion that the BND had withheld information from its oversight bodies on how broad the tapping really was. Separately, a two-part report presented to the LIBE Committee of the Parliament in Brussels focused on potential countermeasures to the “fact” of mass surveillance by intelligence agencies. And a resolution on mass surveillance was passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (CoE).
Divide And Conquer: The New US Strategy To Disentangle The TPP Negotiations 23/04/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Burcu Kilic & Pablo Viollier write: Political leaders in Washington and other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiating countries have set the end of May as the latest deadline for completion of the talks. The negotiations have already missed several such deadlines, so who really knows? No one. But there is something we all know: TPP raises significant concerns because negotiations are being held behind closed doors with details kept secret even from the legislatures in TPP countries.
Industries Duelling For Attention Over GIs In Trade Deals 23/04/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The trade promotion authority (TPA), or fast-track, legislation proposed by three senators last week in the US Congress contains provisions that would reinforce the US position on limiting geographical indications in trade deals. At the same time, European-led industry groups held an event in Washington to highlight the advantages of GIs in trade deals.
Canada’s Budget Extends Copyright For Sound Recordings From 50 To 70 Years 22/04/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Canada’s federal government 2015 budget released yesterday contains several pro-intellectual property measures aimed at boosting the economy. The measures include greater protection of confidential client-advisor communications, and the extension of copyright terms for sound recordings and performances from 50 years to 70 years. “Economic Action Plan 2015 also proposes to amend the Copyright Act to […]