Original news and analysis on international IP policy
After years of at times embarrassing political and procedural wrangling, members of the European Union today agreed to create a single patent system for 25 EU member states, including a unified patent court split between Paris, Munich and London. The decision also contains a copyright element.
The UN World Intellectual Property Organization is centre stage when it comes to international IP policymaking, and has hosted great progress during the past 20 years by all accounts. But apart from updates and modifications to existing treaties, and its 2007 Development Agenda, its members have not managed to complete a major new treaty since 1996. Until now.
More than 130 members of the United States Congress have sent a letter to the US Trade Representative demanding greater access to the still-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, while a new bill is being introduced to reform US trade policy. And another Congress member who earlier publicly leaked the intellectual property rights chapter of the agreement has sent a request to be included as a member of the US delegation to the negotiations.
From government appointments and committee creations to key additions in the non-profit sector and industry advocacy’s revolving door, we’ve kept up with all of the latest hires, resignations, retirements and promotions over the past few months so you don’t miss a beat. Check out who you need to know.
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.
United Kingdom communications regulator Ofcom today published three documents on digital copyright infringement, including a draft code requiring large internet service providers (ISPs) to inform customers of allegations that their internet connection has been used to infringe copyright, and consultations on the code and on cost-sharing.
The UN International Telecommunication Union is conducting constructive and potentially lucrative negotiations to update global telecommunications regulations, but the message keeps getting garbled in public fora, ITU officials said.
The next president and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was named today.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) today issued a declaration in support of public service media's role in society, including as a driver of innovation and a trusted independent voice.
The freedom to access the internet does not translate into freedom of expression in many countries of the world, including in western economies, according to speakers at a peer forum organised yesterday by the United States mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday released an interim report with the European Union on ways to expand transatlantic trade and investment. But apparently this would not including trying to bridge differences on intellectual property rights.
In an unprecedented move, the European Parliament Committee on International Trade (INTA) today in Brussels passed a report recommending the rejection of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Never before has INTA voted to reject a trade agreement negotiated by the Union.