Conference Addresses Current Issues For Corporate IP Counsel
New York - A conference here this week aimed at corporate counsel for intellectual property addressed a range of issues of interest to that audience.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains
US Objective For EU-US FTA: Elevate IPR Enforcement
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday notified the US Congress of its intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the European Union. And in case there was any doubt, among the negotiating objectives will be to raise the level of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.
European Commission VP Kroes Urges Open Internet, Prods Copyright Owners
Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice-president responsible for the digital agenda, today told a parliamentary committee that choices of copyrighted content, cloud computing, internet freedom, and cybersecurity are key to European values and its economy.
Global Pharma Companies See Battle For Survival In Pakistan
Lahore, Pakistan - Weak regulation of the local pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, including non-enforcement of intellectual property rights and the absence of a simple and swift dispute resolution mechanism, have hit the country’s health sector badly, industry sources say.
At US-Led Workshop, African Stakeholders Call For “Home Grown IP Agenda”
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - In a re-cast, smaller version of the event that was planned and postponed last year, the US State Department’s workshop on IP utilisation and protection in Africa opened yesterday. It is co-organised by the African Intellectual Property Group (AIPG), a new pro-IP association of stakeholders across the continent, which says it’s time for Africa find its own voice on intellectual property issues.
WIPO Reports Robust Growth In Demand For IP Rights In 2012
In a press briefing at the United Nations today, World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry described what he qualified as a robust growth in applications for patents, designs and trademarks despite the economic climate.
Samsung Lawyer Assesses IP Legal Battle With Apple
Cape Town, South Africa - Professor Charles Gielen, an insider in the epic design war between Apple and Samsung, has described the hostile standoff between the two corporate giants as a shape-shifting space for intellectual property laws following the different interpretations of IP law the case has evoked from the courts.
Nearly 50 Groups Demand IPRs Out Of EU-US FTA
Upwards of 50 civil society groups have issued a declaration asking for the exclusion of all forms of intellectual property rights from the upcoming Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the United States. They raised significant concerns about the potential effect of IP rights’ inclusion on the public interest in the countries involved.
Practitioners Discuss Interconnection Between Professional Sports And IP
A recent conference of AROPI (Association Romande de Propriété Intellectuelle), an association of intellectual property practitioners in French-speaking Switzerland, examined how sports and IP interact.
ICANN advierte a EE.UU. de no socavar el Modelo Multisectorial
La “Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers” (ICANN) ha emitido un nuevo comunicado sobre un futuro contrato con Estados Unidos para la gestión de la zona raíz y otras funciones de infraestructura de la internet, advirtiendo de que no se debe socavar el modelo multisectorial para regular las infraestructuras básicas de la internet.
African Ministers Focus On IP Role In Innovation For Development; Less On Flexibilities
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – The role of innovation as a driving force of social, economic, and environmental development is one of the central themes in post-2015 global development agenda discussions. In a ministerial-level meeting with guidance from the World Intellectual Property Organization last week, African policymakers outlined what they would need to foster innovation at home. Among a list of recommendations, ministers widely agreed on the importance of developing national intellectual property frameworks, capacity building, and raising awareness through education. Encouraging the use of IP flexibilities, however, was largely left out of the conversation.
USTR: IPRs Among “Most Challenging” Issues As TPP Talks Accelerate
Intellectual property rights are among the three “most challenging” issues still to be resolved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement negotiations following the latest round that wrapped up yesterday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has said. Meanwhile, chief negotiators said this week that the confidential talks are on track for completion by year’s end. But as before, no substantive details were shared about the content of the negotiations.