Drug Company Reacts To Thai License; Government Ready To Talk 16/02/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen One of the companies whose patent may be overruled by Thailand’s issuance of a compulsory license said it was caught off-guard by the Thai move, which was aimed at reducing drug prices. The Thai government says it is determined to execute the three such licenses it has issued recently, but […]
Opposition Gains Support Against Novartis Patent Lawsuit In India 15/02/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen As a case challenging India’s patent law proceeds this week, pressure is building from politicians, religious leaders and civil society on Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis to withdraw the case in the name of public health, sources said. In January 2006, Novartis was denied a patent in India for a special […]
European Collecting Societies Under Fire From Cable Operators 09/02/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch AMSTERDAM – The current scheme for clearing broadcast retransmission rights harms cable operators and should be revamped, speakers said at this week’s Cable Europe 07 conference in Amsterdam. An alternative to collective rights management organisations (CRMs) – central licensing or all-rights-included packages – could give the cable industry […]
Film’s IP Jewel In Peril, US Motion Picture Association Panelists Say 07/02/2007 by John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – That the US movie industry’s intellectual property is essential for the economic well-being of the industry and the nation was one of two major themes in the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) all-day 6 February symposium, “The Business of Show Business” in Washington, […]
USPTO 2008 Budget Would Maintain Global IP Protection Efforts 06/02/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The proposed fiscal year 2008 budget for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) would maintain agency efforts to increase international protection and enforcement of US patents and trademarks, according to a copy of the budget proposal and a senior official. In its overall budget proposal issued on 5 February, the […]
Piracy, Innovation Top Developed-Country Industry Priority List 26/01/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Companies from the wealthiest nations continue to view a clampdown on theft of their intellectual property rights as key to improving their economic performance, and are targeting the largest developing countries in their effort. To their aid comes the World Intellectual Property Organization and others, with a conference next week in Geneva […]
Fair Use, Broadcast Protections Global Copyright Priorities This Year 25/01/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch While antipiracy initiatives and updated broadcasting protections remain dominant themes for government and industry this year, 2007 also could usher in an expansion of user rights as well, according to sources. In the United States and perhaps worldwide, the focus appears to be on fair use or fair dealing, said DowLohnes intellectual property attorney James Burger. Outside the US, it is taking the form of legislation clarifying or expanding private use of copyrighted material, he said, while internally, “the personal use issue is more likely to find its challenge in the judicial system.”
Updating Chinese Traditional Medicine Policy Proves Problematic 19/01/2007 by Jia Hepeng for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Jia Hepeng for Intellectual Property Watch BEIJING – The revision of a long-controversial rule on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is stranded amidst heated debates. While the government-led revision committee is analysing its stipulations for future implementation, some experts say the stagnancy is largely a result of the gap between the modern patent system and […]
Patent Reform, Copyright Enforcement Are Key European IP Issues for 2007 16/01/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Last year saw the apparent demise of two hotly contested European Union intellectual property policy proposals, the European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA) and consideration of a pan-European copyright levy on blank audiovisual media. This year could prove a bit quieter, although a European Commission plan to criminalise some IP infringements may prove no less controversial.
Signal-Based Or Nothing, Some Say At US Broadcasting Treaty Roundtable 04/01/2007 by John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By John T. Aquino for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – At the 3 January roundtable discussion concerning the work at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on a broadcasters’ rights treaty, many of the more than 50 participants were vocal in their opposition, with some in support. Most said the proposed treaty was unnecessary […]