US High Court To Consider IP Protection For Clothing Design 24/05/2016 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Fashion in the US generates over $330 billion in annual revenues, but it is more than a business. Fashion is a well-recognized art, displayed in numerous museum exhibitions throughout the world. This art, however, receives little IP protection in the US. But a case before the US Supreme Court could change that.
Discussions Continue On How To Govern WHO Interactions With Outside Actors 29/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Health Organization interacts with a large number of actors aside from governments, such as industry, philanthropic organisations, academia, and civil society. With an eye to preventing undue influence on the work of the organisation, member states have been trying to finalise a draft framework on WHO interaction with those actors. This week, what was seen as a last effort at reaching a consensual text did not quite meet the goal and some additional informal discussions are expected to take place before the annual World Health Assembly in late May.
Interview With EPO President Battistelli: Investigations, Unitary Patent And Global Change 29/02/2016 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The saga of fights between the President of the European Patent Office, Benoît Battistelli, and the trade union SUEPO goes on with a recent decision to fire two and degrade one member of the trade union. Demonstrations at both the Netherlands and the Munich sites of the EPO continue, and further divisions between the president and the EPO Administrative Council are being reported. Battistelli spoke with Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch in January about his view of the fight and about what else he has on his plate as he had decided to continue for one more term in office.
Panels Look At IP Considerations In Representing Creative Talent 19/01/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – At a conference of hundreds of performers and agents in a hotel perched on Times Square this week, panellists told some interesting stories about intellectual property rights and protecting – or failing to protect – creations and performances.
Alongside WTO Ministerial, Officials Stress Gains On TRIPS And Health 16/12/2015 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NAIROBI, Kenya — On the sidelines of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Summit this week in Nairobi, senior officials from the Kenya government, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), civil society and others discussed a WTO intellectual property rights amendment on public health to better enable poor nations to access essential medicines.
CEIPI Event – Is Copyright In The EU Fit For The 21st Century? 21/10/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Center for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI) of the University of Strasbourg welcomes the Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the Digital Single Market, Andrus Ansip, for a conference-debate on the topic of the future copyright reform in the EU: “Is copyright in the EU fit for the 21st century?”.
Global IP Community: Eventful Season For Career Changes 27/08/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The past few months have been eventful for career changes in the international intellectual property community. Here is a look at some of the changes in governments, international organisations, NGOs/academia, private sector and law offices.
At WIPO Event, Music Creators Tell Of Desperate Economic Times 08/05/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NEW YORK – Musicians, songwriters, and producers recently gathered at a World Intellectual Property Organization event here and gave a stark depiction of a broken system that is not working for them financially, putting the very future of music-making at risk.
Philanthropies And Expression: An Interview With Ford Foundation President Darren Walker 29/04/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Darren Walker is president of the Ford Foundation, one of the largest and historically most influential private philanthropies in the United States, dedicated to human welfare worldwide. Among its areas of focus are programs on freedom of expression and internet rights, extremely timely given current national and global events. Ford, along with four other leading foundations, and leaders from government, business and the technology community recently announced NetGain, a partnership to “spark the next generation of innovation for social change and progress.” Intellectual Property Watch’s William New recently interviewed Darren Walker on his vision for the foundation, internet governance, and the world at large.
EPO President Battistelli Tells Of ‘Patent Wars’, As IP5 Consolidate Work 17/04/2015 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN – A growing patent examination workload and increasing global anti-IP sentiment are some of the challenges the European Patent Office faces, according to EPO President Benoit Battistelli.