DRM Thwarts Gordon Brown’s Effort To Enjoy Gift From Barack Obama 20/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown was not able to watch the classic American movies presented to him by President Barack Obama thanks to digital rights management technologies, reported the UK press. The technology used in this particular case restricts the part of the world in which a DVD will play – the DVDs purchased […]
WIPO Patent Committee To Consider Four New Reports, Global Challenges 20/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The committee on patents at the World Intellectual Property Organization is set to be re-energised next week as it tackles four new reports, and addresses an ongoing question of the relationship of patent rights to wider policy issues on climate change and other environmental issues, public health, and food security.
Agricultural Technology Could Feed Rising Population, But Who Will Own Crops? 20/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and Catherine Saez 3 Comments The genetic revolution has come to food, as debates over how to deal with future pressures of population and climate change look to agricultural technology in hope of answers. But questions still remain over who owns the technology, who will do the research, and what forms of – and even whether – biotechnology is appropriate to human needs and the needs of smallholding farmers.
WIPO, UNCITRAL Team Up On IP And Finance 20/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Officials from two lawyerly United Nations agencies met recently to discuss their roles and build cooperation in intellectual property finance, especially in light of the global economic crisis.
US Senate Approves Kirk As USTR 18/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the nomination of United States Trade Representative (USTR) designee Ron Kirk as the nation’s 16th trade representative, according to a USTR office release. As USTR, Kirk is member of President Obama’s Cabinet and serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues. Kirk, […]
UKIPO: Copyright Owners And Internet Providers, Please Regulate Yourselves! 18/03/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office on Monday published a proposal for a “rights agency” that would tackle problems related to digital copyright. The envisioned agency that would be managed and funded by rights owners and take up a two-fold task by facilitating the creation of a digital market and preventing and reducing online piracy.
Concerns As Australia Censors Wikileaks Page 18/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Outcry from concerned internet users over Australia’s attempts to censor ‘objectionable’ parts of the web has grown this week as internet-based depository for leaked documents Wikileaks reported that one of its pages is now banned in Australia. The page in question, a list of nearly 4,000 websites censored by the Danish government, was submitted to […]
UN Agency Issues Guidelines Urging Curbs On Online Pharmacies 17/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Narcotics Control Board, which implements United Nations drug control conventions, has released a set of guidelines they say will help governments prevent the sale of controlled substances online. “Internet pharmacies can be accessed by anyone, anywhere who happens to be online,” observed INCB’s president, Hamid Ghodse. The concern is that such places are […]
Choruss’s Covenant: The Promised Land (Maybe) For Record Labels; A Lesser Destination For Everyone Else 17/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments Bennett Lincoff writes: If Choruss abandons the time-tested approach of licensing and relies instead on covenants not to sue, it will facilitate a brazen money grab by the major labels it represents, leaving songwriters, recording artists and music publishers empty-handed, and college students holding the bag.
New Medical Technologies Bring New IP Challenges 17/03/2009 by Catherine Saez and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment LYON, FRANCE – At the cutting edge of medical technology lie new hopes for patients, but also serious ethical concerns and potential intellectual property snags. Read More…