EU Regulation On Identifier For Medical Products Published 09/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An anti-counterfeiting regulation on a unique identifier for medical products to ensure their authenticity was published today in the European Union.
European Data Protection Officers On Privacy Shield Announcement: Please Send Text! 03/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A day after the European Commission announced an agreement with US authorities for a “Privacy Shield” as a follow-up mechanism for the invalidated Safe Harbour Agreement, the Article 29 Working Party of European Union data protection officers said they need to see the written text before making their final assessment.
The Conversation – Netflix’s VPN Ban Proves We Need To Develop A Global, Legal Digital Marketplace 03/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In mid-January, Netflix announced a ban on the use of proxies, unblockers, and virtual private networks (VPNs)—all technical work-arounds to view movies and TV programs unavailable in the subscriber’s country. This announcement coincided with the company’s global service launch into more than 130 new markets.
Internet Policy Task Force Seeks Changes To US Copyright Statutory Damages Law 28/01/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Copyright Act should be amended in a “very careful” way to change the way statutory damages are awarded to successful copyright owners against infringing individuals and online services, Shira Perlmutter, US Patent and Trademark Office chief policy officer and international affairs director, said today. She and John Morris, National Telecommunications and Information Administration associate administrator and internet policy director, unveiled a white paper by the Department of Commerce Internet Policy Task Force (IPTF) which, while proposing legislative changes to the damages provisions, also said no amendments are needed to the measure’s remix and “first sale” clauses.
Nigerian Copyright Reform Becomes Less Transparent As Comments Roll In 25/01/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Nigerian government has continued to make progress toward new copyright legislation in recent weeks, but efforts appear to have become less transparent, as the results of a public comment period that ended weeks ago have not been made available and the draft copy of the bill is no longer available on the Copyright Commission website.
EPO Revokes Monsanto Patent On Virus-Resistant Melon 22/01/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 10 Comments The European Patent Office on 20 January revoked a patent held by Monsanto on virus-resistant melons for technical reasons, much to the glee of opponents of patents on conventional plants. [updated]
UK IP Office Unveils 5-Year Strategy to Make Businesses More IP-Aware 21/01/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Kingdom has a vibrant creative sector but many businesses don’t take full advantage of their intellectual property, IP Minister Baroness (Lucy) Neville-Rolfe said in her introduction to an Intellectual Property Office five-year strategy report released today. IPO research shows that over 90 percent of firms haven’t valued their IP, and small to mid-sized companies often don’t understand or know how to protect it, she said. Even a modest boost in those figures could have a significant impact on the UK economy, she said.
Panels Look At IP Considerations In Representing Creative Talent 19/01/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – At a conference of hundreds of performers and agents in a hotel perched on Times Square this week, panellists told some interesting stories about intellectual property rights and protecting – or failing to protect – creations and performances.
Copyright, Unitary Patent System Lead EU IP Priorities In 2016 19/01/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Modernisation of EU copyright and intellectual property rights enforcement law tops Europe’s agenda in 2016. Trademark reform legislation approved last year takes effect this year, and a preliminary deal on trade secrets protection is expected to be finalised. Work on the unitary patent system continues, and there’s an increased focus on the issue of patents versus plant breeders’ rights.
WIPO Training In Africa: Brand SMEs’ Products To Exploit Innovation And Commercialization 15/01/2016 by Hillary Muheebwa for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments KAMPALA, Uganda – Small and medium enterprises in Uganda should brand their products with geographical indications and collective marks to gain competitive advantage. This was one of the messages during a recent World Intellectual Property Organization event entitled, Advanced Training of Trainers Program on Effective Intellectual Property Asset Management by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, (SMEs). The training took place in Kampala, Uganda on 8-10 December.