Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee approval this week of a single patent for participating European Union members sets the stage for a February plenary vote in Parliament. But members’ inability to agree on where to locate the new unified patent litigation court means the Polish presidency won’t get to see finalisation of the process that will now head into 2012 under the guidance of Denmark.
The Geneva-based International Publishers Association today joined organisations demanding that the interim Egyptian government stop attacks on an Egyptian publisher, and uphold the internationally recognised right to freedom of opinion and expression, and freedom of assembly and association.
With a recent decision by the Agriculture and Fishery Council of the European Union, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) seems to have made a big leap forward. And with recent breakthroughs in other countries, ACTA’s final hurdle may be in the European parliaments.
Although intellectual property issues did not play a big role in the Eighth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, some international stakeholders took advantage of the global gathering to meet, discuss and debate the 3-step test in copyright, a key topic in IP today. The discussion included a call for a WTO declaration on the 3-step test.
The United States Trade Representative’s office today released its second report in a year on markets it has labeled “notorious” based on unofficial comments it has received. The report identifies physical and internet-based marketplaces around the world that may be hotbeds for the sale of intellectual property infringing goods.
The World Intellectual Property Organization today released a report showing global filings for patents and trademarks turned upward in 2010. But there were some variations across the map.
WASHINGTON, DC - American intellectual property attachés serving abroad have helped propel global discussions on intellectual property rights and have helped protect inventors’ rights amidst a “global flat economy,” but enforcement remains a difficult challenge in many parts of the world, attachés said at a recent event gathering them back home. The officials highlighted strategies for the coming year in the top emerging economies.
With the negotiations of the Doha Development Agenda formally recognised to be at a standstill, not much was expected from the World Trade Organization’s Eighth Ministerial Conference. There were no surprises at the meeting close as conference Chairman Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga gavelled through the seven matters that were set before the trade ministers.
World Intellectual Property Organization members last week debated a possible new instrument to protect products with specific origins and characteristics.
The World Trade Organization formally approved Russia’s bid to join the trade body today. The agreement concludes 18 years of negotiations and is seen as a one of the major successes of the WTO’s Eighth Ministerial Conference being held from 15-17 December.
Despite the low-key role of intellectual property rights issues at this week’s World Trade Organization ministerial, there is plenty to think about for the IP community.
The United Nations, International Monetary Fund and over 20 other international organisations have expressed concerns over the opening up of the internet domain name system for new generic top level domains (gTLDs) like .nyc or .news.