On Plant Patents, EPO President Backs Industry, Disregards EU Parliament, Group Says 13/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A civil society coalition fighting patents on conventional plants in Europe has published a briefing paper alleging that the European Patent Office is giving a “green light” to patents on plants and animals, disregarding the position of the European Parliament.
Meetings On IP And Innovation In Africa Open In Tanzania 12/03/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments A ministerial-level meeting organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Japan Patent Office, and the Tanzanian government began today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The two-day conference, which focuses on how IP can stimulate innovation and development, will be followed by a UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting and a US Department of Commerce Commercial Law and Development Program (CLDP)-led workshop on IP use and protection at the same venue.
World Congress Hosts 5th Annual Corporate IP Counsel Forum 12/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Congress will host its 5th Annual Corporate IP Counsel Forum on 20-21 March in New York, NY.
Swiss Perspectives On The Success Of Its National Innovation Model 11/03/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Swiss innovation is internationally recognised for its high quality, and the reasons may derive from its fiscal system, labour market, research and development (R&D) model and education policy, a senior Swiss official has said.
US Defender Of Internet Freedom, Keen On Protecting IP Rights 08/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments For the third year in a row, the United States mission to the United Nations in Geneva brought together human rights activists from different parts of the world in an effort to promote internet freedom. At a press briefing, a senior US State Department official described efforts to address challenges to freedom on the internet, and said that intellectual property in the context of internet is a complicated issue.
Intellectual Ventures Reaches Another Semiconductor Patent Settlement 06/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual Ventures (IV) announced today that another settlement has been reached in one of its three patent infringement cases involving nine manufacturers in the semiconductor industry.
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.
European Patent Office Reports Record Patent Filings In 2012 06/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Patent Office today announced that 2012 saw a new record for patent filings in the office, and equating the rise to Europe’s “innovative powers”. But while 36.5 per cent of applications came from Europe, the fastest growth was in applications from Asia, particularly China, Korea and Japan. Korean firm Samsung took top honours for most filings, the first time for an Asian company, and a Chinese company, ZTE, broke into the top 10 for the first time.
“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.