European Parliament Passes Orphan Works Directive 13/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 10 Comments The European Parliament today passed a “directive on certain permitted uses of orphan works” with 531 in favour versus 65 opposed (11 abstentions). The directive will be a good first step toward allowing the digitisation and making available to the public of older copyrighted works that are buried in the archives and libraries of the Union because no rights holder can be located, the lead rapporteur Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg (S&D) and many supportive MEPs said.
US Ambassador Sees Hope For WIPO Visually Impaired Treaty This Year 13/09/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment United States Ambassador Betty King told a gathering of journalists at the US mission yesterday of the important work being done at the international institutions under her responsibility in Geneva, including the World Intellectual Property Organization and World Health Organization.
The Contributions Of Julian Assange To The Debate On Intellectual Property 08/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 8 Comments Cables on intellectual property (IP) issues from United States embassies in various parts of the world, leaked by Wikileaks, reveal how the country works to achieve its objectives, Cuban Lillian Álvarez writes.
Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. & Canada), Inc. Annual Meeting – Special Savings for IP-Watch Readers! 06/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Don’t miss the LES (USA & Canada) Annual Meeting, October 14-17 in Toronto: The must-attend licensing event for professionals across all industry sectors! LES calls the meeting, focused on “Connecting & Collaborating,” your best opportunity this year to learn from and interact with the leading IP, licensing and business development professionals in the industry. Over 3-and-a-half days, the Plenary Sessions will help you delve into a range of cutting-edge issues, including the convergence of life sciences and high tech; a debate over the alleged patent bubble; and a robust, judge-led discussion about the Canadian and US patent environments. Targeted Mini-Plenary Sessions will drill down to timely topics of interest in each of the industry sectors, and you’ll have the opportunity to select from any of over 40 interactive cross-sector workshops tailored to your interests. As a bonus, get a sneak peek of the Meeting with LES’ new podcast series, including exclusive interviews with Keynote Speaker Dr. Eric Topol, Judges Paul Michel and Roger Hughes, and Annual Meeting Chairs Tim Lowman and Gary Fedorochko. Listen now. IP-Watch readers save $100! Use promo code IPW12 when registering for your discount.
US Film Industry (Also) Likes Democrats’ Platform On IP And Internet Freedom 04/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) today said that it is “extremely pleased” with the presidential election platform of the Democratic Party, echoing praise the music industry group gave last week to the rival Republican Party.
US Film Industry Praises Republicans On IP And Internet Freedom 30/08/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) today (29 August) issued a statement praising the platform language of the Republican Party, which is opposing President Obama in this year’s presidential election.
WIPO Drug Research Project Strikes First Agreements 29/08/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A World Intellectual Property Organization project aimed at expanding research on diseases occurring predominately in developing countries using IP-protected material has announced its first research agreements.
Public Library Must Provide Accessible E-Readers Under US Law 29/08/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Justice Department and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento, California Public Library Authority to fix violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act caused by using Barnes & Noble NOOK electronic reader devices in a patron lending programme. The readers excluded persons who are blind or have other disabilities requiring features such as text-to-speech or access through audio or tactile options. The library will no longer purchase exclusionary devices and has agreed to acquire a set of accessible ones, as well as train staff on the requirements of the disabilities law.
Revolving Door: US Copyright General Counsel Joins Music Industry 29/08/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Continuing the revolving door tradition between the United States government intellectual property and trade officials and the industries they represent, David Carson, general counsel of the US Copyright Office, will join the top international music industry association in September. Carson will assume a role of influencing policymakers in drafting legislation to protect and promote copyright. His is latest in a series of moves blurring US industry and government lines, and extending to the UN.
Novartis Challenge To India Patent Law Put Off To 11 September 22/08/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Supreme Court of India today did not get to an agenda item involving a challenge to India’s patent law by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, and it is now scheduled to come up on 11 September. The case is considered to have potential widespread impact on the production of lower priced generic medicines.