Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A draft of the outcome document for this week’s Rio+20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said to be close to the final version, shows where governments have placed their focus. It appears that technology transfer is well-recognised, intellectual property rights to a lesser extent, but firm actions in these areas may still be to come.
The World Health Organization has published a paper that explains to policymakers and others how to take measures to protect public health against tobacco while staying within the bounds of international trade and investment law, under intense industry pressure. Key aspects of the report deal with intellectual property rights policy, as it relates to international trade.
A complex trade negotiation among several countries bordering the Pacific Ocean just got more weighted toward the west as Canada and Mexico joined their North American partner the United States in the talks. They may also infuse new energy into the talks, which are about to enter their 13th round, but may make intellectual property demands tougher to achieve.
A trade association representing music publishers and songwriters today announced a model licensing deal with Universal Music Group that is expected to allow songwriters and publishers to share in the revenue from music videos. Universal is the first record label to make such an agreement, parties said.
The music industry often claims that unauthorised file sharing online is ripping off artists and the economy to the tune of billions of dollars. Although such file-sharing is impacting sales, the losses are grossly overestimated by industry, according to a professor speaking last week at the World Intellectual Property Organization, who also said illegal downloading could prompt untapped markets for complementary products and services.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and a leading US rights holder group have entered a case involving rights over prior art submitted in patent applications, arguing that it falls under fair use.
A technology industry-friendly economic study released today found that changes to European copyright laws in recent years have negatively impacted venture capitalists' investments in cloud computing companies. This followed several French and German court rulings, it said.
A World Trade Organization review of China’s trade policy includes assessments of the country’s progress on adopting - and becoming a leader of - the global intellectual property rights system.
As world leaders along with thousands of government, private sector and nonprofit participants, get ready to meet in Rio de Janeiro this week, 20 years after this Brazilian city hosted the historic first Earth Summit, there are fears that there may be no meaningful consensus on how the world can become more liveable and sustainable at the same time. And technology transfer, research and development, intellectual property rights are part of the debate.
The roles of governments, civil society and industry in ruling the internet - and other spaces - seems to be in a profound change. With governments in cross-border law enforcement situations increasingly unable to protect fundamental rights, as European Parliament Member Marietje Schaake said during a session of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) in Stockholm last week, it seems to be civil society that can do something about it.
The United Nations agency on trade and development this week published its Economic Development in Africa 2012 report, which argued, among other things, that the region’s sustainable future depends on using flexibilities in intellectual property rights as appropriate.
The Broadband Commission for Digital Development, a mixed public-private sector leaders group aimed at boosting high-speed internet availability in the developing world, today issued an open letter to the leaders of the Group of 20 urging action which the commission says will lead to greater socio-economic growth.