Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The top members of the United States Congress for international trade policy have put intellectual property rights and information technology market access at the top of demands for Russia's impending accession to the World Trade Organization.
The role of online intermediaries in copyright enforcement is on the international negotiating table in recent plurilateral trade agreements. Those negotiating with the US would be advised to examine carefully what is being offered, writes Margot Kaminski.
Legislation giving new powers to the government and copyright holders in the United States to unilaterally block payments to or take down websites deemed by US courts to be infringing intellectual property rights has been introduced into the House of Representatives. Now the policy fight begins.
An unusual sight met passers-by at the World Intellectual Property Organization around lunchtime today. The street was crowded with several fire trucks and yellow security tape kept people away from the entrance to the main building. A number of WIPO staff were outside waiting to know if they could go back to their work stations after a fire started in the WIPO basement around 11:30, according to a security source. According to another source on the site, the fire was rapidly under control but smoke had spread and the electricity was down.
Enforcement of intellectual property proved to be a point of contention among World Trade Organization members at this week’s meeting of the Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Meanwhile, despite debate, the Council extended the deadline for members to accept a TRIPS amendment on public health, leaving the December WTO ministerial to consider that extension plus an extension on a moratorium on so-called non-violation cases under TRIPS.
The US Copyright Office today issued its priorities and projects for the next two years, targeting studies, legislation, trade and foreign relations, and administrative law.
The webpage of the new Re:Search IP licensing database project at the World Intellectual Property Organization partnered with the BIO Ventures for Global Health foundation is now live, and shows a range of corporate, foundation and academic cosponsors lined up for tomorrow's launch.
The Philippines Intellectual Property Office has issued a statement in response to criticism that an IP enforcement meeting it is hosting this week with numerous corporate representatives "does not favor big corporations."
It is often said the internet was created in the United States, though techies around at the time are quick to point out the international efforts that were involved. Since its creation, US management of the internet domain name system has been internationalised through the creation and gradual independence of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). But the US has always kept its hand on one critical aspect of the internet - and is now putting it up for bid.
The World Intellectual Property Organization, a United Nations agency with nearly 200 member states, is under criticism for its connection with a Western industry-heavy event this week in the Philippines aimed at fighting intellectual property counterfeiting and piracy. The concern from technology industry and consumer advocates is that WIPO is involved in an overly one-sided event and did not sufficiently notify its diverse membership or the public of its activities.
The World Trade Organization committee responsible for intellectual property rights issues is meeting this week and will address several items of potential debate, including a nearly unused 2003 provision for compulsory-licensed medicines exports to poor countries, a WTO member’s attempt to discourage smoking through unlabelled tobacco packaging, and IP enforcement raised by a small but potent group of WTO members who negotiated the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
Members of the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) are preparing to vote to allow Palestine to become a member, according to sources. If this happens, it could create uncertainty about United States membership in UN agencies, including the World Intellectual Property Organization.