Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch LINZ, AUSTRIA – How distant is the realisation of a “prevision” and prevention culture as portrayed in the Steven Spielberg movie Minority Report? Telling the future is not as far off as critical…
By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch
New rules by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) governing the continuation of patent applications will wreak havoc in the biotechnology and high-tech sectors, according to some experts. The regulations, announced in August as part of a USPTO effort to boost patent quality, and effective on 1 November, are already being challenged in court.
In addition, US patent practice changes could arise from a 20 August judicial decision setting a new standard for determining when patent infringement is wilful or done knowingly.
By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The United States House of Representatives Friday approved sweeping changes to the US patent system, setting the stage for Senate action which could send the measure to the president for signature. By a…
By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch A dispute has erupted between two of the European Union’s most powerful institutions over Thailand’s decision to circumvent pharmaceutical patents in order to boost its supply of cheap medicines. Peter Mandelson, who holds…
By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Despite recently trumpeted deals with SoundExchange, which collects fees for record labels and artists, large and small US webcasters say royalty rates for Internet music performances are still too high and should be…
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A proposal to set up a Pan-African Intellectual Property Organisation (PAIPO) though still in its infancy already faces opposition and concern, including from those who fear that Africa is signing up to stricter IP protection…
Par Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Au vu de l’augmentation considérable du nombre de nouveaux usagers du système des brevets en Asie du Nord-Est, associée à une croissance continue parmi les usagers établis, l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) estime…
Por Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Con el importante aumento del número de usuarios del sistema de patentes en Asia nororiental, al que se suma un crecimiento constante de los usuarios establecidos, ha surgido la necesidad de repensar y racionalizar el…
By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch The fight between German collecting rights societies and hardware companies is escalating. This week the CEO of the society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights, Harald Heker, heavily criticised the German Association…
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The shape of the intellectual property map is changing, with Northeast Asia moving into the top of the list of number of patent filings in 2005, says a new report from the World Intellectual Property…
Por Monika Ermert para Intellectual Property Watch El Parlamento Europeo ha votado en contra de la penalización de la importación paralela de artículos en la directiva propuesta en la Unión Europea sobre medidas penales destinadas a garantizar la observancia de…
By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch As Indian lawyers for Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis comb through a High Court judgment published today, the question of whether the Indian patent law is compliant with a World Trade Organization treaty remains…