Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The United States Chamber of Commerce this week released a letter urging the US government to take a series of steps to boost jobs in America, including passing controversial legislation to allow the US to unilaterally crack down on international websites it deems to be in violation of US intellectual property rights. But not everyone agrees this is the best approach.
The Indian Supreme Court today is expected to hear Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis’ case against a provision of Indian patent law aimed at preventing the extension of drug patents for minor changes in existing products, a practice known as evergreening.
The United States Department of Justice today announced it has filed an antitrust lawsuit to block US telecommunications company AT&T from acquiring one of its top rivals, Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile. The Justice Department cited likely harm to innovation and consumers as reasons.
The annual conference of the European Policy for Intellectual Property Association on 8-9 September in Brussels will bring together leading figures in the international IP community to look at contemporary issues in IP policy.
Luis Carlos Wanderly Lima, a senior official responsible for Brazil’s policy of giving a voice to its health ministry in the examination of patent applications with potential impact on public health, recently resigned in protest about changes to the policy. In a Q&A with Intellectual Property Watch, he discussed his decision.
In recognition of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the secretary of the United Nations on 9 August raised the complex issue of intellectual property rights and indigenous knowledge. The Director General of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization also issued a message straddling the issue of IP rights and community ownership of traditional knowledge and resources.
The Recording Industry Association of America today announced that Cary Sherman has been named chairman and CEO amid claims that the music industry is looking up. Sherman takes over for Mitch Bainwol, who resigned to become CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
The United States Senate is expected to hold a vote on a bill to modify US patent law, in part making it more closely aligned with international practices, according to Senate sources. But some are concerned the bill will not end patent fee diversion at the US Patent and Trademark Office.
India and the European Union announced a written agreement yesterday that puts more conditions on EU customs authorities before they can stop shipments of generic pharmaceuticals passing through Europe. No longer is the existence of an EU patent on passing generics sufficient cause to stop shipments. The agreement suspends a World Trade Organization dispute started by India last year.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) under negotiation by a group of countries including those in the European Union is more ambitious than current EU law and risks problems for access to medicines, concluded a recent study commissioned by the European Parliament Committee on International Trade. But the study stops short of calling for a flat rejection of the agreement.
The European Commission yesterday announced the availability of nearly €7 billion euros (nearly US$10 billion) to boost innovation, its biggest grant ever for research and development. The move is predicted to create 174,000 jobs in the short-term and some 450,000 jobs and €80 billion in economic growth over the next 15 years.
A major action was announced today by the United States Justice Department as it arrested 16 people and executed 35 search warrants for alleged hackers mostly said to be involved in retaliation by the group Anonymous against PayPal for blocking payments to Wikileaks after it released a large number of classified documents late last year. Five arrests were also made in Europe.