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…
Record Cybersquatting Cases As WIPO Seeks New Trademark Protections 16/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A record number of cybersquatting complaints were filed at the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2008, and the organisation is preparing for a potentially much larger set of concerns as the launch of an unknown number of new domains approaches.
New Thinking On Biotech Patents From Industry Groups 13/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment LYON, FRANCE – A new level of willingness to cooperate on major public health initiatives may indicate increased convergence in goals between large pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy groups, particularly when addressing neglected diseases, a panel at an international life sciences conference said Monday.
World Health Organization Issues Statement On Generic Drug Seizures 13/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization on Friday issued a statement on a high-profile debate over Dutch customs authorities’ delays of shipments of legitimate generic pharmaceuticals passing through the European country on their way to patients in developing countries. The goods were apparently believed to be counterfeit medicines.
Lamy Restarts Informal WTO Process On Proposals On IP And Biodiversity, GI Extension 12/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy on Wednesday kicked off informal talks on two key intellectual property issues that have been stalled by disagreements on the forum and mandate for their discussion.
Administrative Patent Validity Determinations If The Proposed US Patent Reform Act Of 2009 Passes 09/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On 3 March, 2009, bills were introduced in the US Congress setting forth the proposed “Patent Reform Act of 2009”. The legislation proposes significant changes to post-issuance proceedings available to challenge patents in the United States. US attorneys Matthew A. Smith, Stephen B. Maebius and Jon W. Dudas argue the proposed legislation will be a step toward improving patent quality.
In Biotech Industry, Cash Flow Fears And Patent Questions 27/02/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Patent reform, universal health care, and intellectual property rights protection of new health and environmental technologies are critical not only for the biotechnology industry but for improvements in public health, the president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) said Thursday.
Innovation Policy: The Balance Between Standards and Patent Regulation 26/02/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments By Georg Greve Interconnectivity, commoditisation and increased reuse and recombination are key trends within the maturing information and communication technologies (ICT) industry that drive innovation and development. Harnessing the innovative and economic potential of the ICT sector depends on a variety of factors, including open innovation models, such as free software.
Path Forward For UN-Led Internet Governance Forum Discussed 26/02/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment That there will be a future for the international Internet Governance Forum seems likely, though the form its future incarnation will take is not. Delegates to an open consultation on internet governance this week began to sort out some base modalities on how to evaluate the progress of the United Nations-led discussion venue, as a deadline approaches to decide whether and how the group will continue.