EU Anti-Counterfeiting Rapid Intelligence System: One Database For All Data On IPR Infringement 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission Trade Directorate recently launched a new intellectual property enforcement tool that aims to pool together all data relating to IP rights infringement experienced by EU companies into one database to help build prevention strategies. This is one of many new EU initiatives to counter growing IPR infringement and counterfeits.
CISAC: 90 Years In The Service Of Authors And Composers 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the world’s leading network of authors’ societies, has published a book looking back at its 90 years in existence. The CISAC Story – 90 Years in the Service of Authors and Creators Worldwide, was distributed in three languages at the Confederation’s General Assembly last month in Paris.
UNCTAD Conference Opens With High-Level Calls For Action On Trade And Development 18/07/2016 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NAIROBI, Kenya (IP-Watch) – The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 14th Session opened here yesterday, with leaders calling for deeper and broader cooperation between trade and development.
Industry Report Tracks Innovation’s Value To AIDS Treatment In Developing Countries 18/07/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A new report launched in time for this week’s AIDS conference in South Africa analyzes factors relating to access to HIV/AIDS treatments over the past 15 years. The analysis includes a look at government policies used during that time, the contribution of generic and research-based industries, and the importance of voluntary licensing.
For UNCTAD Ministerial, NGOs Call For Development Focus, Not Trade Rules Enforcement 14/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Days before a major meeting of the governing body of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), over 100 non-governmental organisations worldwide are calling for the organisation to maintain its development role and not help implement international and regional trade rules.
New Book On Price-Reducing Strategies For Essential Medicines Under IPRs 13/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new book and website examine the impact of intellectual property rights on access to new essential medicines and call for measures that were used to reduce prices of patented HIV medicines to be applied in the case of essential medicines.
Post-Huawei v ZTE: Are FRAND Negotiations Finally More Balanced In Europe? 13/07/2016 by Magda Voltolini for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment BARCELONA, Spain — The Huawei v ZTE Case C – 170/13, 21 July 2015 prescribed some guidelines for fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing negotiations, for both standard-essential patent holders and users. A recent private-sector panel addressed European FRAND case law and the latest information and communications technology industry policy opinions, in particular concerning royalty assessment rate (end-user or technology), royalty stacking, patent pool approach and injunctions.
How Are Licensors And Licensees Adapting To New Scenarios? 12/07/2016 by Magda Voltolini for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BARCELONA, Spain — A recent industry conference panel here covered topics of changing intellectual property scenarios perceived from different angles, in particular from operating companies which manufacture products or services and patent assertion entities (PAEs).
Special Report: Union Lawsuit Claims EPO Has Prevented It From Functioning; Office Claims Immunity 11/07/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Deteriorating relations between European Patent Office (EPO) management and staff union SUEPO have sparked another lawsuit in the district court in The Hague, Netherlands. The matter, which will be heard in a 15 July summary proceeding, alleges a pattern of threats, dismissals, suspensions from service and gagging of union members, said Prakken d’Oliveira attorney Liesbeth Zegveld, who represents SUEPO and its Dutch branch. Around one-third of union officials have been suspended, investigated or gagged, effectively preventing the union from functioning, she said in an interview. The lawsuits are just part of the ongoing turmoil affecting the EPO. Reform of the Boards of Appeal (BoA) has also proved controversial, and there are concerns about the reluctance of the Administrative Council to get a grip on the staff-management battle. The EPO said that, as an international organisation, it has immunity from such suits, as recently held by a German court. It defended its changes to the BoA, and announced an autumn conference for stakeholders to discuss an independent study on office social issues.
Brexit Threatens Legal Uncertainty, Higher Costs For Trademarks, Lawyers Say 08/07/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Two weeks after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the potential impact of “Brexit” on patents and trademarks is becoming marginally clearer, intellectual property lawyers said in interviews and a 7 July webinar. Among other things, Brexit would delay the EU unitary patent and unified patent court (UPC) and result in great uncertainty –and higher costs — for trademark owners, they said.