Springtime Moves In The IP Community 10/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The beginning of the year saw a particularly high number of changes at law firms and in the United States government. Also the World Trade Organization named a list of new chairpersons for its committees, the World Economic Forum named the head of its new cybersecurity centre, and Swiss pharma company Roche has a new head of research and development.
Special Feature: Blocking Taiwan From Joining WHO Affects Global Health Security, Officials Say 09/04/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment TAIPEI, Taiwan – Two years after the victory of Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan is feeling the effects of the DPP’s position against the “One China principle.” At the World Health Organization, China is allegedly successfully blocking Taiwan from participating in the annual World Health Assembly, and in a number of WHO technical meetings, officials say. Beyond the political dimension of the dissent between China and Taiwan, the situation may hurt the Taiwanese and global health security, Taiwanese officials said.
Decision In US Inter Partes Review Case Coming But Outcome Seen As “Highly Uncertain” 06/04/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Supreme Court is likely to affirm the constitutionality of US Patent and Trademark Office inter partes reviews when it rules in the closely watched matter of Oil States Energy Services, LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group LLC, according to Michael Best & Friedrich intellectual property attorney Marshall Schmitt. The end result of the decision, however, is hard to predict, he said.
US Imprisons Chinese Scientist For Theft Of Engineered Rice Seeds 04/04/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A Chinese scientist has been sentenced to jail for more than 10 years for conspiring to steal samples of a highly developed variety of genetically modified rice seeds from a Kansas biopharmaceutical research facility, the US Justice Department said in a release.
Better Cyber Security Problematic, Says US Financial Industry: Power Struggle Over Encryption 04/04/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A decision to keep third party listeners out of communications on the internet taken by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) at their recent meeting in London elicited an alarmist message from the US financial industry. The premier internet standardisation body would provide “privacy for crooks,” and practically prohibit “bank security guards from patrolling and checking particular rooms” online, BITS, the technology division of the Financial Services Roundtable, argued in a press release last week. Has standardisation gone rogue?
The Price Of China’s Forced Transfer Of US Tech and IP? USD 50 Billion In Tariffs, US Says 04/04/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Trump administration today (3 April) published a list of Chinese exports to the United States which could be subject to as much as US$ 50 billion in tariffs in retaliation for policies it says have forced the unfair transfer and theft of US technology and intellectual property.
Federal Circuit Ruling in Oracle v. Google Could Affect Global Software Industry 03/04/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Google’s use of 37 of Oracle’s Java application programming interface (API) packages in its Android operating system infringed Oracle patents and copyright, the US District Court for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) said on 27 March. The latest decision in the long-running case was not unreasonable but could stifle software innovation, lawyers said.
Coming To Your Door: USTR Trade Barriers Report Lists Concerns To Raise With Trading Partners 01/04/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The newly released United States government annual report on trade barriers for US exports provides a laundry list of issues it views as inhibiting US products and services from being treated fairly or sufficiently protected in its key trading partners. Among the many issues are many concerns about intellectual property rights, digital trade, broadcasting, pharmaceuticals and more.
UK Industry Group Identifies “Cliff-Edge” Risks For IP In Brexit 28/03/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A United Kingdom industry association today issued a report on “cliff-edge” risks to intellectual property rights protection from the Brexit separation of the UK from the European Union, and asks for assurance the issues will be considered.
At WTO, US Defends Actions Against China On IPR 26/03/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization is heating up as the global venue for nations to air concerns about others’ increasing action to protect markets and restrict trade, including as it relates to intellectual property rights protection. Today, a committee saw WTO members questioning each others’ practices, including the new actions by the United States to investigate China for failure to protect US IP rights and unfairly disadvantaging foreign companies in China. And a new WTO case filed by the United States comes as the US had been critical of the multilateral trade body, but comments made by the US delegation today show its determination to more broadly improve WTO dispute resolution.