Original news and analysis on international IP policy
In what is seen by many as a landmark decision, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg on Thursday ruled that an injunction obliging an internet service provider to install a filtering system to prevent peer-to-peer copyright violations on its network would violate European law.
The importance of multilateralism, continuing global public health gains with sufficient funding, and finding a balance between the worlds of trade, intellectual property and public health were among the top issues raised during the a daylong high-level meeting at the World Trade Organization.
The World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee today agreed on "clusters" of topics under which they will discuss topics related to limitations and exceptions to copyright for libraries and archives, with an eye toward a possible instrument in the future. And this evening, a special meeting of ambassadors was held with the World Blind Union and the International Publishers Association, aimed at bridging differences on a separate but related treaty proposal on limitations and exceptions for print-disabled readers.
For Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders), the 10th anniversary of the Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health marks an opportunity to look forward.
The World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Advisory Group wrapped up its first meeting a day early. Scheduled to meet 21-23 November, the 18-member group was supposed to work out details on how to carry out its mandate, according to sources.
Officials from around the world have gathered for the next two weeks at the World Intellectual Property Organization in hopes of resolving the fate of several longstanding copyright policies under debate. The hope of many is that by the end of the copyright committee meeting starting yesterday, WIPO members will be on track to treaties or instruments on audiovisual performances, limitations and exceptions for print-disabled readers and for libraries and archives, and on broadcasters’ rights. And serious negotiations have already begun.
The United States and China made notable progress on a range of intellectual property policy issues in cabinet-level meetings ending today, according to the US government.
Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, has issued a call for new thinking beyond old business models as a way to incentivize creativity in Europe.
The World Health Organization today announced the 18 members of the advisory group that will monitor and report on implementation of the new WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework. The group started its first meeting today.
It has been 10 years since the World Trade Organization adopted the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. The declaration highlighting the public health aspects of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreed at the 2001 WTO ministerial conference in Doha, Qatar was considered a milestone in ensuring greater access to medicines for all.
With protests against draft US legislation like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act ongoing and the European Parliament voting on 17 November for a resolution to request that the United States should be “refraining from unilateral measures to revoke IP addresses or domain names,” politicians are talking a lot about technology for the internet domain name system. But at the same time, engineers are getting more political and are intensively discussing technology providing the tools for blocking - by governments and private parties.
The World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) successfully completed its eighth session tonight, making progress on a range of projects and agreeing to set up an ad hoc working group to examine an external report on the UN agency’s global provision of technical assistance.