Category IP Policies

US Congressional Panel Mulls Royalty Right For Songs On Radio

By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Well-loved American performers, members of Congress and the US Register of Copyrights squared off Tuesday against the country’s powerful broadcast lobby in a bid to change US copyright law to reward artists for…

Film Company Wins thesimpsonsmovie.com From Cybersquatter. Doh!

By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch As the “Simpsons Movie” rolls out on silver screens across the United States and Europe, word comes that its maker, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, has won the rights to the domain name…

Le Comité de l’OMPI sur les savoirs traditionnels et le folklore prolonge et ajuste son mandat

Par Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Après d’intenses négociations de dernière minute, un comité de l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) a décidé de renouveler son mandat actuel, en accordant davantage d’importance à la direction qu’il souhaite donner à ses…

US Patent Reform Advances But Outcome, Global Impact Uncertain

By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch
Legislation for sweeping reform of the US patent system emerged from House and Senate committees last week. Among other changes, the bills would more closely align the US scheme with international patent practice, create an additional opportunity to challenge the validity of questionable patents, and limit damages in some infringement lawsuits. But the bills' future is unpredictable, observers say.

Observers Watchful Of US Trade Impact On Medicines Access

By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The United States has begun incorporating a revised intellectual property and health policy into its bilateral trade deals. But although the overall softer approach towards its partners may improve access to medicines, the debate on…

US Ruling Creates Uncertainty For Famous Foreign Trademarks

By Steve Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch
In a ruling that surprised many trademark experts in the United States, one of the country's most respected appellate courts recently cut back on the protection given to famous foreign trademarks. If such marks are well known in the US but are not registered or used in the country, they are unprotected by federal law, according to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

UE: Se desvanece armonización de patentes, insuficiencia en DRM, silencio respecto a flexibilidades en ADPIC

¿Está cerrándose la oportunidad de lograr armonización de patentes en la UE? Por Monika Ermert para Intellectual Property Watch MUNICH- A juzgar por los comentarios de algunos funcionarios, tras varios años de debates, podría estarse cerrando la ventana de oportunidad…