Category Features

TiVo Case More Closely Aligns US With Europe On Patent Infringement Contempt Cases

The United States recently changed one important aspect of enforcing patent rights. Patent owners who wish to use contempt proceedings to stop adjudged infringers from committing additional infringements must comply with the new standards laid down in TiVo Inc. v. EchoStar Corp. The decision, which brings US law closer to that of European countries, makes it easier for patentees to bring contempt actions, but may sometimes make it harder to win these actions.

WIPO Begins New Era With A Light, Transparent Office Building

More than two years after construction was begun and 13 years since its approval, a large new World Intellectual Property Organization office building quietly opened doors in March and the exodus from across the street and several other locations in Geneva began for some 500 employees of the United Nations organisation.

Plant Breeder’s Rights – A Blessing Or A Curse?

Niels Louwaars of the Centre for Genetic Resources, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, discusses the importance of plant breeder’s rights. He makes the case for a carefully balanced protection for plant breeders and changes to patents in agriculture, in order to ensure a competitive, diversified supply of plant varieties and seeds.

New VP For US Chamber IP Center

The United States Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center has announced the addition of an executive vice president, joining from the brand-name pharmaceutical industry.

Europe Creates Orphan Works Registry, Copyright ID System; Digitises EU Content

A European Commission-backed project to identify copyright holders and define orphan works - whose copyright owners cannot be found - recently presented its results and is heading to a second phase with more partners. The project advances the European effort at digitalising content through the Europeana project, a competing project to the Google Books project.

WIPO: Trademark Filings Up Again; Now, Think Design!

International trademark applications are on the rise, reflecting economic recovery, as are industrial design applications, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. However, the WIPO system for registering industrial design applications, though showing strong growth, still involves a limited number of countries, according to WIPO’s director general.