Conference Addresses Current Issues For Corporate IP Counsel
New York - A conference here this week aimed at corporate counsel for intellectual property addressed a range of issues of interest to that audience.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Copyright Policy
German Parliament Votes To Protect News Snippets From Republishing
Munich - A controversial update to German copyright law providing for an auxiliary protection for tiny extracts from press articles has been finally passed by the German Upper House (“Bundesrat”).
US Objective For EU-US FTA: Elevate IPR Enforcement
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday notified the US Congress of its intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the European Union. And in case there was any doubt, among the negotiating objectives will be to raise the level of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.
European Commission VP Kroes Urges Open Internet, Prods Copyright Owners
Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice-president responsible for the digital agenda, today told a parliamentary committee that choices of copyrighted content, cloud computing, internet freedom, and cybersecurity are key to European values and its economy.
European Court Upholds Confidentiality In International Treaty Talks
The Second Chamber of the European General Court in a judgment today strengthened confidentiality rules in international treaty negotiations.
At US-Led Workshop, African Stakeholders Call For “Home Grown IP Agenda”
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - In a re-cast, smaller version of the event that was planned and postponed last year, the US State Department’s workshop on IP utilisation and protection in Africa opened yesterday. It is co-organised by the African Intellectual Property Group (AIPG), a new pro-IP association of stakeholders across the continent, which says it’s time for Africa find its own voice on intellectual property issues.
US Supreme Court Applies First Sale Doctrine Worldwide
Today, the United States Supreme Court handed US copyright owners a stinging defeat. The decision in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons dramatically slashes the ability of US copyright owners to control copies of their works. And in so doing, the 6-3 decision blows a huge hole in the global marketing strategy of movie, TV, book and software companies.
Nearly 50 Groups Demand IPRs Out Of EU-US FTA
Upwards of 50 civil society groups have issued a declaration asking for the exclusion of all forms of intellectual property rights from the upcoming Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the United States. They raised significant concerns about the potential effect of IP rights’ inclusion on the public interest in the countries involved.
Practitioners Discuss Interconnection Between Professional Sports And IP
A recent conference of AROPI (Association Romande de Propriété Intellectuelle), an association of intellectual property practitioners in French-speaking Switzerland, examined how sports and IP interact.
African Ministers Focus On IP Role In Innovation For Development; Less On Flexibilities
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – The role of innovation as a driving force of social, economic, and environmental development is one of the central themes in post-2015 global development agenda discussions. In a ministerial-level meeting with guidance from the World Intellectual Property Organization last week, African policymakers outlined what they would need to foster innovation at home. Among a list of recommendations, ministers widely agreed on the importance of developing national intellectual property frameworks, capacity building, and raising awareness through education. Encouraging the use of IP flexibilities, however, was largely left out of the conversation.
Interpol, Pharma Join Hands Against The Crime Of Fake Pharmaceuticals
Members of the pharmaceutical industry and Interpol have come to an agreement on a plan to fight “fake” medicines, echoing efforts to address the issue at the World Health Organization in recent years.
US Perspectives: US Tries Gentler Copyright Enforcement
On 25 February, the US opened a new front in its war against online copyright infringement. Five of the nation’s biggest internet service providers (ISPs) joined with the movie and music industries to launch the Copyright Alert System, a new means of attacking unauthorised file-sharing. This ISP-based enforcement system is similar to efforts in at least seven other industrialised countries. Some of these efforts have apparently slashed unauthorised file-sharing, which suggests the US system will be similarly successful. It is unclear, however, if the US system (or any of the other countries’ systems) will succeed in their ultimate goal - boosting revenues for the movie and music industries.