WIPO Members Set To Decide On Industrial Design Treaty Negotiation 25/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A potential treaty to facilitate international applications for industrial designs for creators is on the agenda of a meeting next week at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Also on the meeting agenda is the protection of country name registration and use as trademarks, and a proposed geographical indications filing system.
At WIPO: All-Women Panel Of Broadcast Journalists Discuss Revolution In Industry 22/04/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment “What we are going through is nothing short of a revolution,” announced a leading radio and television broadcast editor, speaking yesterday at a World Intellectual Property Organization event on digital content. But the revolution seems to be coming in “snack-sized” portions, said speakers.
IP Should Serve More Actors In New Ways, Keynote Speaker At WIPO Says 21/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The much-advertised World Intellectual Property Organization conference on the digital content market kicked off with a visionary speaker calling for the broadening of intellectual property rights income as a way forward for a sustainable economic ecosystem and reducing inequalities. The WIPO director general meanwhile said digital technology has brought new possibilities and reduced prices but also carries its load of regulatory challenges.
Despite Government Pledge, US Firms Say They Are Left On Own For Cyber Theft Protection 21/04/2016 by Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States government continues to ratchet up its rhetoric against state-sponsored “cyber” theft of intellectual property, but private firms largely report that they have to take matters into their own hands.
Failsafe Tips For Identifying And Developing Potentially Valuable Patents 20/04/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments It’s easy to find valuable and useful patents, if you have small patent portfolios, but it can be a daunting task when portfolios contain hundreds or thousands of patents. Yet this task is critical for any business, and especially for technology companies that typically hold significant portfolios.
Analysis: WTO Amendment On Access To Medicines Faces EU Conundrum 14/04/2016 by Peter Ungphakorn for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments After waiting for over a decade, the World Trade Organization is finally close to achieving the first ever amendment to its rule-book, with only a handful of members still needing to formally accept new intellectual property provisions dealing with one aspect of access to medicines. Two thirds of the membership (108 of the WTO’s present 162 members) have to ratify or “accept” the amendment (on exporting medicines made under compulsory licence) before it can take effect. The number of accepting members is finally approaching 108. This has exposed a discrepancy in the way the European Union’s membership is counted. And that in turn raises questions over when the 108 is actually reached. Worse, the counting method the EU uses could even prevent some amendments ever taking effect.
EU Consults On “Neighbouring Rights” For Publishers And “Panorama” Copyright Exceptions 08/04/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Commission is considering giving publishers the same “neighbouring” rights currently available to broadcasters and producers of someone else’s copyrighted content, it said in a 23 March consultation document. The inquiry is part of the EC’s digital single market initiative to boost Europe’s digital economy.
US Senate Backs Bill Allowing Federal Courts To Handle Trade Secret Cases 06/04/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The “Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016” cleared the Senate unanimously on 4 April. The measure amends the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 to create a private civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation. The bill now heads to the House, where passage appears likely, according to IP lawyers.
Review Of WHO Pandemic Flu Preparedness: Data Sequencing And Other Issues 31/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Five years after its adoption, a World Health Organization mechanism to help the world be ready for future influenza pandemics is being reviewed. According to several stakeholders invited to share their views, a major challenge is genetic sequence data, which allows digital reproduction of material. Other issues include the relationship of the mechanism to an international convention on access to genetic resources, and the contribution of industry.
US Tech Industry Associations Endorse TPP 31/03/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A number of internet and software industry in the United States have come out in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiated by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) last year.