Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Washington, DC - United States attachés stationed around the world in order to promote intellectual property rights reported on their activities to US industry here last week. And the attachès posted in Geneva had strong words for the work of non-governmental organisations operating at the World Trade Organization and the United Nations agencies.
At the close of a World Intellectual Property Organization meeting dedicated solely to a potential new treaty on industrial design law and practice, delegates agreed to continue working on the draft instrument at the next session. But they will also have to address divergent views on how to integrate technical assistance and capacity building into the treaty.
Bulging portfolios, lucrative licensing fees, and record patent sales, the booming business of intellectual property strengthens calls from business leaders to accelerate the harmonisation of the global patent system. Participants in a recent private-sector intellectual property conference said that redundancies in international processes “creates waste” which could be better used to invest in new business.
Manila, Philippines - With the global success of the dance single Gangnam Style, the heyday of the Korean popular music or K-Pop, along with the country's other creative content, is proving to be far from over. And it’s providing a good reason for the Republic of Korea to bolster its copyright protection strategy, particularly in countries where its creative content exports are most popular and where copyright infringement is inevitable.
The issue of technical assistance and capacity building established a clear divide during World Intellectual Property Organization discussions on a potential new treaty on industrial designs today.
Alicante, Spain – The impact of counterfeit goods on the economy, public health, and the bottom line was a central theme during a private-sector symposium on trademarks here this week. For European rights owners, the border is where counterfeiters are at their weakest and therefore the best place to act. But as stronger legislation regarding infringement of intellectual property rights on goods in transit is unlikely for now, the private sector is seeking alternative ways to take on a growing business threat.
Dubai, UAE - A mere resolution, not part of the future International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR), led to yet another escalation at the ongoing World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai last night.
The work on a potential new treaty on industrial designs law and practice is at full throttle at the World Intellectual Property Organization with delegates trying to agree on common rules and procedures. The new treaty is expected to make life easier for the millions of industrial designs applicants worldwide.
The launch of the weeklong Indian film festival at the World Intellectual Property Organization last week brought together different speakers who stressed the importance of copyright protection for the safeguarding and development of the Indian film industry and who characterised unauthorised downloading as a danger for the industry.
Dubai, UAE - The internet is not completely out of the first consolidated draft proposal for the future International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) that was introduced late on 11 December at the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai.
The World Intellectual Property Organization today issued its annual World Intellectual Property Indicators report showing that despite the "continued fragility of global economy," intellectual property is still performing. The report was issued as WIPO members are discussing a potential new treaty on industrial designs law and practice, with a view of harmonising rules and procedures worldwide.
A years'-long struggle ended Tuesday when the European Parliament overwhelmingly backed the creation of a unitary EU patent and patent litigation court system. The vote followed Monday's approval by the Council of Ministers. But hard feelings over a last-minute government compromise, and continuing concerns about whether the new regime will make patenting in Europe cheaper and more accessible to smaller enterprises, continued to rankle. The European Court of Justice (ECJ), meanwhile, appears headed toward rejection of a legal challenge by Italy and Spain, who have refused to join the unitary patent system.