Dugie Standeford

Dugie Standeford

  • Articles: 158

The Big Shift: A Look At Key Issues In International Copyright In 2013

Although pressure on internet service providers and other online companies to stop digital infringement isn't likely to abate this year, the current focus on enforcement appears to be giving way to a broader debate about how to resolve long-standing copyright issues to the benefit of users and the global economy. Talks continue in the World Intellectual Property Organization and elsewhere on exceptions and limitations, as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement remains controversial.

European Unitary Patent And Court Becomes Reality

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.

EU Parliament To Vote On Measure Against Biopiracy; Focus On UN Protocol

European Union lawmakers will vote soon on a non-binding measure aimed at protecting genetic resources and fighting biopiracy, or misappropriation. Despite the critical importance of these issues, efforts to draw the European Parliament's attention to the resolution have been difficult and its outcome is less than clear, its author says.

EU Rights Owners Blast ICT Industry For Trying To “Hijack” Copyright Levy System Talks

Copyright collective management and creators' organisations Monday accused digital technology industry group DIGITALEUROPE of trying to hijack a mediation process aimed at straightening out the EU's messy system of private copying and reprographic levies. In its 4 October paper setting out alternatives to device-based copyright levies, DIGITALEUROPE urged the European Commission to initiate comprehensive reform that includes replacing levies with some other forms of compensation to rights holders.

US Congressional Push For Release Of TPP Text; US Pressuring Nations Bilaterally?

With talks on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement about to resume, members of Congress are putting pressure on the Obama administration to disclose what it's seeking on intellectual property rights. And civil society groups say that even more worrying than the closed-door nature of the TPP negotiations is the United States' increasing use of bilateral meetings to sway other countries.

Divergent Approaches To Copyright Reform Emerge In Europe

Two very different views of copyright reform emerged this week, one from a report commissioned by the UK government, the other from a French citizens' advocacy group. The former envisions an intricately linked system of digital rights exchanges and databases to streamline copyright licensing, the latter broad, “non-market” sharing of protected works between individuals, among other things. Whether either approach is feasible remains to be seen, and, as always, the devil's in the details, lawyers say.

UK Parliament Panel Urges Government To Speed IP Reforms

The United Kingdom government has done a “considerable amount” of high-grade policy development work in the year since publication of a key report on the health of its intellectual property regime but must move faster, the Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee said on 27 June. It strongly criticised Britain's approach to the controversial proposal for a unified EU patents.

EU Negotiators Tentatively Agree On Plan For Orphan Works

European Union institutions this week informally agreed on how to handle “orphan works” - those whose creators cannot be found. The proposed new directive is the first legislation to come out of the European Commission (EC) intellectual property rights strategy adopted in May 2011, Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier said on 6 June.