EU Hears Views On Policies For Addressing Neglected Diseases 04/04/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen BRUSSELS – Whether research and development into new medicines for poor countries may best be secured through the strengthening of current partnerships or through entirely new schemes was the focus of an expert workshop held in Brussels by the German presidency to the European Union and the European Commission on […]
Panel On US Patent Law Ethics Finds Compromises and Hope 31/03/2007 by John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Panellists at the all-day 29 March symposium “Ethical Issues in Patent Law” expressed frustration at the inability to improve patent system processes that self-protectively resist change. But the symposium was also filled with lessons on dealing with ethical issues and a determination to keep […]
EU Copyright Enforcement Draft Clears Parliamentary Panel; Concerns Linger 23/03/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch A European Commission proposal to criminalise commercial intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements is headed for a vote in the European Parliament despite strong opposition to some provisions from industry sectors and consumer groups. On 20 March, members of the Legal Affairs (JURI) committee backed a report authored by […]
In Clash With Activists, Critics Charge Thailand Violation Of Trade Rules 19/03/2007 by Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Critics of Thailand’s decision to issue compulsory licenses for several patented drugs said the Thai government violated global trade rules, as they clashed with public health activists at a 16 March briefing on Capitol Hill, home of the United States Congress. Ronald A. Cass, dean […]
EU Parliament: Competition Yes, But No ‘Big Bang’ For Collective Rights 14/03/2007 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch The European Parliament this week passed a resolution on cross-border collective rights management asking for a framework directive at the EU level that would encourage more competition. But parliamentary members of the bigger political party groups warned against a “big bang” of unrestricted competition and an overly rapid […]
Thailand Presents Report On Compulsory Licensing Experience 12/03/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A Thai official says the government’s phones have started ringing a lot more frequently since Thailand issued compulsory licenses to import and eventually produce patented medicines, moving patent owners to drop their prices. But sceptics maintained at a recent meeting that Thailand should have talked to the companies before issuing […]
USTR Report Lays Out IP Trade Agenda For 2007 07/03/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The United States will pursue stronger intellectual property rights and enforcement in multilateral forums such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) as well as in free trade agreements and regional agreements, and is considering dispute settlement cases against several countries on IP. The 467-page President’s 2007 Trade Policy Agenda and […]
EU Enforcement Directive Stuck: What Is ‘Commercial Scale’ Infringement? 05/03/2007 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch For the third time since December, the European Parliament committee vote on an EU directive on criminal sanctions against infringers of intellectual property rights has been postponed. This is a signal that there are great difficulties with the text, say observers from non governmental organisations, who argue that the European Commission should kill it or rewrite it from scratch. But a compromise is near, according to the vice chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (JURI), Rainer Wieland (EPP).
USPTO Sees Filesharing Dangers; US Officials Echo Industry Enforcement Efforts 05/03/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on 5 March announced a new report it said shows that distributors of the most popular filesharing programmes “repeatedly deployed features that they knew or should have known could cause users to share files inadvertently,” with potentially grave consequences for consumers and national security. […]
WIPO Panel Features Views On Patent System Flexibilities 22/02/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New A well-balanced colloquium at the World Intellectual Property Organization allowed views from two sides to be heard on the subject of flexibilities in the patent system. The presenters at the 16 February event appeared to split along lines of a developing country view and a view from developed countries, the primary patent […]