Freedom Of Expression Vs. DRM — The First Empirical Assessment 25/05/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 18 Comments Results of recent research on the impact of digital rights management (DRM) on the ability of users to take advantage of certain exceptions to copyright have introduced new systemic empirical data into the debate.
Copyright Exceptions Needed To Ensure Balance In Africa, Panellists Say 25/05/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments International copyright laws do not take into account the reality of the conditions of accessing knowledge in Africa and clearer limitations and exceptions are needed to achieve a balanced copyright regime at the national level, panellists said at a seminar on development research on 20 May.
Plainte contre un enseignant argentin : l’accès à l’éducation en question 18/05/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Un professeur argentin de philosophie qui avait mis en ligne sur Internet des traductions en espagnol des travaux du philosophes français Jacques Derrida est actuellement poursuivi par la justice pour violation présumée des droits d’auteur, selon l’organisation Copy South Research Group. Cette affaire met en lumière les limitations qui découlent de l’application du droit d’auteur sur l’accès à l’éducation.
US Patent Reform Prospects Unclear; First-To-File Questioned 18/05/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Patent reform may be chugging along in the United States Congress, but so far, with the Senate soon to be consumed with what could be a contentious Supreme Court nomination fight, and with President Obama still lacking a new director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, some are questioning whether reform will actually happen this year. In addition, a key “first-to-file” provision in the US bill to harmonise with other countries may be more appearance than substance.
Un caso sobre derechos de autor en Argentina pone en primer plano el acceso a la educación 18/05/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Se ha entablado una demanda contra un profesor argentino de filosofía por una presunta violación de derechos de autor ante la publicación de versiones traducidas de las obras del filósofo francés Jacques Derrida en una página web, según informó el Grupo de Investigación CopySouth. El caso atrajo la atención de la comunidad internacional hacia las limitaciones en el acceso a la educación como resultado de los derechos de autor.
Content Industry Still Seeks Digital Model As Enforcement Focus Persists 15/05/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the continued absence of a new model that adequately includes them, major global media groups remain concerned over revenues lost to unauthorised file-sharing decades after the arrival of the internet, and their focus is still on enforcement and extension of their rights.
French Parliament Passes Final Internet Anti-Piracy Law; Reaction Expected 13/05/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The French Senate’s vote on Wednesday sealed the adoption by the Parliament of the controversial French HADOPI law creating a graduated punishment mechanism for alleged copyright infringement on the internet.
Argentina Copyright Case Brings Access To Education Into The Spotlight 12/05/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments An Argentinean philosophy professor is being sued for alleged copyright infringement for posting translated versions of French philosopher Jacques Derrida’s works on a website, according to the Copy South Research Group. The case is bringing international attention to the limitations on access to education brought about by copyright.
The World Is Going Flat(-Rate) 11/05/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 34 Comments A new study shows a copyright exception for legalising file-sharing is feasible, as a cease-fire in the “war on copying” emerges. A new social contract between creatives and society is needed, says media sociologist Volker Grassmuck.
Golan Case May Put US In Violation Of International Copyright Treaties 08/05/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A United States federal court recently gave some bad news to the US government and many foreign copyright owners – including the estates of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Dmitry Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky. The court struck down a US statute which had restored copyright protection to the works of these foreign authors. By limiting copyright restoration, the ruling might prevent the US from fulfilling its obligations under the Berne Convention and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).