Does EU-India FTA Serve Mutual Interests? Policymakers, NGOs Disagree 10/12/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The proposed European Union-India free trade agreement was one of the top issues at the 11th EU-India Summit held in Brussels today. But two sides of the story are being told about who will benefit or lose.
What If There Were An Application For Dot Wikileaks? 09/12/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments What would happen if the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) received an application for a .wikileaks top level domain name (TLD) next year, under its new system of opening up the internet for domains? It could make an interesting example of how well the complex system to apply for new TLDs works and how much political intervention is possible in the system. At the 39th ICANN meeting in Cartagena, Colombia this week, the self-regulatory body is trying to finalise issues in the published Final Applicant Guidebook – and it is governments and trademark owners that are calling for more time and more procedures.
Caribbean IP: Ensure Unending Local Protection Of Traditional Knowledge 07/12/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments In the Caribbean, issues of traditional knowledge in intellectual property are hardly considered to be of special significance to the majority of policymakers and, except for a few pockets of interest groups such as a group of Rastafarians in Jamaica, the average citizen is uninformed on the subject. The protection of the cultural heritage of the region through a normative system of law is exceedingly necessary for the survival of our unique brand of cultural expression, writes Abiola Inniss.
Officials Work To Advance WIPO Treaty To Protect Biological, Traditional Resources 06/12/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Delegates this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization are continuing text-based discussions on a legal instrument for traditional knowledge, genetic resources and traditional cultural expressions. This week’s meeting is expected to be a stage-setter for the coming year, considered a key one in the ongoing efforts to solve global biopiracy concerns.
Patent System Mainly Serves Select Developed Country Industries, Study Says 02/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The global patent system is intended to promote innovation and increase growth, but this might not always be the case, as it might only serve industries relying heavily on patents in advanced economies, according to a study on patents and manufacturing industries presented at the World Intellectual Property Organization this week.
World AIDS Day Brings Calls For Legislative Caution, Reform 01/12/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Canada’s Parliament has the power to save lives of millions afflicted with HIV around the world if they will act to ease intellectual property-related restrictions on their access to medicines, Canadian civil society groups said today.
UN Biodiversity Convention Seeks Expedited Entry Into Force Of Benefit-Sharing Protocol 29/11/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the end of 2010 nears, bringing with it the end of the otherwise unremarkable international year of biodiversity, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is calling for countries to ratify the newly agreed protocol on biodiversity access and benefit sharing as soon as it opens for signature in February.
Should WIPO Lead Creation Of A Global Repertoire Database? 22/11/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 2 Comments To solve many of the dilemmas facing copyright holders in the digital age, some say the World Intellectual Property Organization must create and administer an international repertoire database, compiling information about who owns what rights related to specific artistic works.
Global Copyright Licensing Doubts And What To Do About Them 22/11/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment What do the fearsome leader of France’s three-strikes agency, a top Microsoft counsel, Google’s copyright counsel, a free software activist, Egyptian and British librarians, a South American development-oriented academic, and a European music authors’ representative have in common? While one might be tempted to say, ‘very little’, a recent gathering showed one thing – they represent the very wide range of current views on the future of copyright licensing.
WIPO Copyright Committee Agrees To Extra Time On Visually Impaired Access 15/11/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee has reached an eleventh-hour agreement on a work programme that could help ease access to reading materials for the visually impaired.