US Supreme Court Restricts Gene Patents … A Little 17/06/2013 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Last Thursday, the United States Supreme Court overturned more than 30 years of precedents and ruled that isolated genes cannot be patented. They are products of nature and thus not patent-eligible subject matter, the court unanimously held in Assoc. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. This ruling puts the US at odds with most other nations, which allow genes to be patented. But because other major nations grant narrower gene patents, the net effect of Myriad will be to shift the US position on gene patents closer to that of other nations.
At G8: EU, US Kick Off Bilateral Trade Negotiations 17/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment During day one of the Summit of the G8 countries at Lough Erne Golf Resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland today, President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and the President of the European Commission, Manuel Barroso, jointly announced the formal start of negotiations of the US-EU free trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
Infojustice: The Topsy-Turvy US International Trade Commission 17/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Infojustice.org examines the evolving responsibilities of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and its decision to bar imports of older Apple iPhones and iPads, finding that they infringed patents held by Samsung.
Infojustice: A Bumpy Road To Net Neutrality In Brazil 17/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Infojustice.org reports: On May 23, Brazil’s federal communications commission – ANATEL – passed a resolution with sweeping implications for internet service provision, net neutrality, and regulatory power.
EU Commissioner: PRISM Will Hurt US Businesses, Create EU Opportunities 17/06/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European Commission Vice-President responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, today told a US business group that revelations about the United States government’s mass surveillance programmes would hurt US businesses, but create opportunities for European business. She also said the US should have been more transparent with the European Union and allow US companies to be more transparent, and risks undermining trust in digital services.
Controversial Debate On TTIP Mandate In EU Council Of Ministers 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment After hours of late night discussion, the European Union Foreign Affairs Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg Friday finally excluded the audiovisual sector from the negotiation mandate for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
Myriad Case Decided: Natural Human Genes Not Patentable In US 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United States Supreme Court came to a decision yesterday on the case of Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., striking down Myriad’s patent on isolating human genes from the bloodstream.
Poland’s Minister Of Culture Calls For Intellectual Property Courts 14/06/2013 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski has called on the country’s Ministry of Justice to create and integrate intellectual property courts into the country’s legal system. Under the plan, the new entities would become departments of regular courts, and they would be solely responsible for handling cases involving intellectual property, including disputes related to authors’ rights, trademarks and patents.
UK Intellectual Property Office Seeks Comment On Copyright Exceptions 13/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Draft legislation updating UK copyright exceptions is out for comment, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has said.
Interview With Tanja Rajić: The Impact Of EU Enlargement On Trademark Practice In Croatia 13/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Ten years after applying for membership, Croatia is finally joining the European Union on 1 July 2013. Tanja Rajić, senior associate at PETOSEVIC, explains how six years of accession negotiations and the adoption of the acquis communautaire have affected intellectual property protection in Croatia and prepared it for becoming a member state.