Panel: Open Data, Open Access, And Open Education – Key To Open Innovation? 31/03/2015 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Intellectual property stimulates creativity but at the same time holds back innovation, speakers said at a recent event on open innovation and alternative business models. The roundtable looked a range of models, such as open source and open data, and their advantages, to “all rights reserved” protection.
How The Leaked TPP ISDS Chapter Threatens Intellectual Property Limitations and Exceptions 26/03/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments By Prof. Sean Flynn, Associate Director, Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP), American University Washington College of Law Reposted with permission from Infojustice.org, original here. I released a statement earlier today opining that the today’s leak of the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) chapter proposed for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement (available […]
Busy Year At WTO: 20th Anniversary, Doha Round, Dispute Settlement Overload 26/03/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment This year is an auspicious moment for the World Trade Organization and the multilateral trading system, WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo told journalists today. In particular, he said, the WTO, after a hiatus last year, is implementing the results of the 2013 Bali agreement on trade facilitation and finalising work on the work programme to conclude the Doha Round of trade liberalisation negotiations.
Indian Draft Pesticides Bill Contains TRIPS-Plus Data Exclusivity, Indian Pharma Says 26/03/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments India is considering legislation on pesticides containing data exclusivity provisions that would raise the level of intellectual property protection above the minimum required by international trade agreements and could act as a precursor for pharmaceutical products in the country, a leading Indian industry representative warned this week. India is sensitive to restrictions on the use of marketing data of patented pharmaceuticals as it is seen as the world leader in generic medicines, which use such data.
TPP’s Copyright Term Benefits US, Burdens Others 23/03/2015 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The US got its way. The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) will require all member nations to have a minimum copyright term of life plus 70 years. As a result, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and three other nations will have to increase the duration of copyright by 20 years. This copyright term extension will benefit powerful interests in the US, but will hurt consumers and creators in six other nations that are part of the TPP.
All WIPO Filings On The Rise, Serving Mainly Developed Economies; Telecoms Increase 19/03/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Today, the World Intellectual Property Organization released the 2014 numbers of filings for its systems for patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, which form the basis of the revenue of the UN organisation. Filings under the three systems grew in 2014, with a notable presence of telecom companies in patent filing activity. Except for China, top filers in the three systems are developed countries. Also noted was that so far, the significant increase in internet domain names has only led to a slight rise in new domain dispute cases.
Are Generics Companies Using Inter Partes Review To Overturn Patent Court Cases? 13/03/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – Will generics companies use a win under the new inter partes review mechanism in the United States to overturn pharmaceutical patents in court? A top attorney for a pharmaceutical innovator company says they could indeed. Meanwhile, a new analysis of the inter partes review so far shows it may not be as much of a cause for alarm as previously thought.
UN Human Rights Council Debates Report Criticising Copyright 11/03/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 13 Comments Copyright might run counter to human rights, says a new report from the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. In the report, she provides a number of recommendations, including encouraging UN World Intellectual Property Organization members to support the adoption of international instruments on limitations and exceptions to copyright. The report is under consideration by the Human Rights Council and was debated extensively today.
No, Democracy is Not Excess Baggage 11/03/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments There was quite some controversy at the 3-4 March 2015 UNESCO Connecting the Dots Conference regarding whether or not the term “democracy” should be included in the conference’s outcome statement to make it clear that internet governance must be democratic.
Revolving Chairs In The IP World: People Shift Positions. But Interests? Not So Much 06/03/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A lot has happened among the global intellectual property community over the past months. Beyond the usual shifts in law offices, many key positions have either changed hands or been filled. For example, the European commissioners changed, and the United States nominated a new “piracy czar” and a new head of the US Patent and Trademark Office. The International Telecommunication Union, UNITAID and other organisations have new heads. And the World Intellectual Property Organization has a new top management team. Non-governmental organisations and the private sector also saw a lot of movement in recent months, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, the International Trademark Association, the International Publishers Association, and the Motion Picture Association of America. In this article, we take the opportunity to catch up. Here is a look at some of the changes.