Caterpillars And Butterflies: Movements Debate Meaning Of ‘Free’ Culture 20/09/2006 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch BERLIN – A debate is ongoing between “open source” (OS) software developers and devotees to Creative Commons licenses over the right way to promote free culture. Creative Commons licenses, under which some rights are reserved, are too restrictive for some in the OS community. “When I look at […]
WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Advances Past Disagreements 14/09/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New A proposal to negotiate a treaty to expand the rights of broadcasters and cablecasters cleared a key committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization on 13 September despite outstanding disagreements among committee members. “The draft basic proposal [the document upon which talks will proceed] is full of contradictions,” Surinder Kumar Arora, India’s […]
Critical Talks Ahead For WIPO Broadcasters’ Treaty 09/09/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New A proposed treaty to strengthen rights for broadcasters faces a critical test next week at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Government negotiators are under pressure to finish preliminary work on a draft treaty before the 25 September annual WIPO assembly, as increasing numbers of private sector stakeholders are digging in their heels […]
UN Researcher Envisions Framework For IP, Innovation and Development 06/09/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The impact of intellectual property policy on innovation and development may have been overstated, and a framework is needed for analysing the linkage between these concepts in developing countries, according to a United Nations researcher. While intellectual property policy is a key element of innovation policy, “the focus has been selective, and […]
India: Influential Voices Back “IP-unencumbered” Software; Copyright Debate Heats Up 05/09/2006 by Frederick Noronha for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Frederick Noronha for Intellectual Property Watch NEW DELHI – For a judge, Yatindra Singh of India’s Allahabad high court is surprisingly outspoken. For a member of the bench, he is also amazingly tech-savvy. And as he talks technology, or explains to an Indian businessman how free software, unencumbered by intellectual property, can get support […]
Swedish “Pirates’” Call for IP Reform Spurs Global Interest 04/09/2006 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch A Swedish political movement seeking drastic changes to intellectual property law is resonating internationally, according to a spokesman for the group called the Pirate Party. The party, whose platform calls for fair and balanced copyright, the abolition of patents and increased individual privacy protection, last month put its […]
India At The Forefront Of Knowledge Commons Debate 03/09/2006 by Frederick Noronha for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments By Frederick Noronha for Intellectual Property Watch NEW DELHI – What do seeds have in common with software? Or age-old medicines with copyright lawyers? And, what’s the link between ayurvedic medicines and techies talking free software in Bangalore? Such issues are getting closely enmeshed in a deepening debate on how knowledge is shared or controlled […]
August/September Edition of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 16/08/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter: Latest changes in officials responsible for intellectual property at the Bolivian, Indian, Jordanian and Tunisian missions, and the Center for International Environmental Law. The Monthly Reporter features unique summaries of events, the latest on who is coming and going at the United Nations, World Trade Organizations, Geneva missions, […]
Kenya Fights To Retain IP Flexibilities For Medicines Imports 09/08/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A second attempt in Kenya to restrict intellectual property flexibilities meant to safeguard access to medicines has most likely been defeated, largely due to opposition from an interagency task force and civil society groups, local sources said. But although key politicians have indicated that proposed changes to Kenya’s intellectual property […]
Brazil Publishes Biodiversity Generic Name List 04/08/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Brazil has published a list of more than 5,000 generic terms from the Portuguese language related to Brazilian plant biological diversity to raise awareness and prevent further misuse of trademarks that hinder Brazilian exports. The Brazilian government has been, and is, involved in a number of trademark disputes with companies that, for example, take a […]