Original news and analysis on international IP policy
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Intellectual Property Watch is pleased to announce a joint internship opportunity with the DiploFoundation/Geneva Internet Platform in Geneva, covering events and issues related to internet governance.
The recent case of a monkey selfie that went viral on the web raised thorny issues of ownership between a (human) photographer and Wikimedia. Two attorneys from Morrison & Foerster sort out the relevant copyright law.
WIPO Lex is a publicly available online database under the World Intellectual Property Organization providing streamlined access to the intellectual property systems of almost 200 jurisdictions. The database now features over 12,000 legal texts, some 600 treaties and is operational in six languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Intellectual Property Watch takes a look at this resource.
A recent paper published by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition criticises a joint study by the European patent and trademark offices as lacking insight about the economic effects of intellectual property.
The Australian government is seeking to amend its copyright act to address online copyright infringement. To that purpose, a discussion paper has issued for public input until 1 September. In particular, the paper looks at trends in similar nations and proposes measures to dry up business models operating outside of Australia, and to extend the responsibility of internet service providers.
Switzerland is considering the “modernisation” of its copyright law to adapt the rights and obligations of various stakeholders to the “realities” of the internet. The country’s generous exception on private use of downloaded material appears to be preserved in the proposed change but internet service providers might feel the pinch.
A new United Kingdom copyright exception for private copying cleared Parliament on 29 July and will become law in October. The change brought cheers from high-tech and digital rights groups. UK Music, however, said the new regulation will hurt creators and that it is considering legal action.
The Polish Parliament is currently finalising work on a bill designed to make using anti-plagiarism software compulsory for Polish higher education institutions (HEIs). With the new law, universities are to become obliged to check all Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. theses to detect acts of plagiarism. However, local observers doubt whether the bill will provide Polish HEIs with sufficient means to counter this widespread problem and protect intellectual property.
It has been said among some member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization that the next deputy director general responsible for development should come from the Latin American and Caribbean region. If that is the case, a look at some senior officials in Geneva from the region shows a significant pool of available talent from which to draw.
With an increase in the number of entrepreneur artisans in Uganda, a need to protect and benefit from the artisan works has emerged in the country. There is a growing trend in rights management, especially in the fields of musical works, film and art.
The European Commission white paper on its ongoing copyright reform will not be available until early fall, a Commission source said this week. Officials had previously indicated that the paper might be published this month.
The Takedown Project is a recent initiative bringing the research community together to explore how the notice-and-takedown procedure in cases of alleged online copyright infringement are handled by internet service providers around the world. The project aims to create greater transparency in order to improve the quality of this global regulatory system.