Heated Debates Over US-Free Internet 10/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Warnings about a possible split of the single root zone underlying the global internet have been made by internet governance experts outside the United States following a hearing of the US congressional Subcommittee on Communication Technologies and the Internet on the future of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the internet’s technical […]
French Minister Says HADOPI Law A 21st Century Reality 10/06/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments WASHINGTON, DC – France’s “three strikes” law is both “ambitious” and “realistic,” French culture and communication minister Christine Albanel told a conference Tuesday, and anyone who thinks the internet can be a lawless arena where anything goes is “in the wrong century.” Also at the conference, predictions were made on US legislation on patent reform, performance rights and other issues.
Generic Drug Delay Called “Systemic” Problem At TRIPS Council 09/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Seizures of legal generic drugs was the focus of heated discussion Monday at the World Trade Organization Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), raising questions about the implementation of enforcement measures in the European Union.
June Edition Of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 09/06/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Edition features top news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the international IP community, news briefs and more. The June edition is now available for subscribers.
Council Of Europe: Access To Internet Is A Fundamental Right 08/06/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 8 Comments What applies offline is also valid online – an argument often used against internet communication by legislators – has been turned around to underline fundamental rights on the internet in a new resolution of the Council of Europe.
Pirate Party To Enter European Parliament 08/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Swedish Pirate Party harvested 7.1 percent of the Swedish vote in preliminary results from the European Parliament elections on Sunday, 7 June, according to official sources. The Party aims to fundamentally reform copyright law, get rid of the patent system and ensure citizens’ right to privacy. According to the Parliament’s provisional seat repartition, the […]
UN-Led Commission Sees Needs In Internet Governance, Science, Technology 08/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A commission under the United Nations charged with monitoring progress in improving science and technology in places where access is difficult and capacity to use that access scarce, concluded its recent annual meeting with draft resolutions on internet and society and on development and science. One notes that there is still much work to be done to bridge the ‘digital divide’ that creates disparities in access to information technology and knowledge in the world; the other calls on governments and UN institutions to find innovative ways to support innovative capacity.
New Top Level Internet Domains – To Be Or Not To Be? 06/06/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Now even trademark owners and large businesses do not really agree on the planned extension of the internet domain name system to include hundreds of new top-level domains (TLDs) like .com.
Drug Seizures In Frankfurt Spark Fears Of EU-Wide Pattern 05/06/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 8 Comments Health advocates have raised alarm over reports that several million pills of generic medicine were held up in Frankfurt airport in May despite being destined for a different port. And new information has come to light indicating Dutch seizures were more numerous than originally thought. These developments have prompted outcry and the assertion that a European-wide law on customs and intellectual property is problematic.
Swedish Pirate Party Set To Win Seats In EU Elections 05/06/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments COPENHAGEN – As a candidate for the European Parliament elections on Sunday, the Swedish Pirate Party has “good chances” of winning one, two or possibly even three mandates, it says, referring to Swedish opinion polls.