Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains

US Congress Members Demand Access To TPP; ACTA Criticised In Australia

More than 130 members of the United States Congress have sent a letter to the US Trade Representative demanding greater access to the still-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, while a new bill is being introduced to reform US trade policy. And another Congress member who earlier publicly leaked the intellectual property rights chapter of the agreement has sent a request to be included as a member of the US delegation to the negotiations.

Keeping Pace With The IP Crowd’s Latest Moves

From government appointments and committee creations to key additions in the non-profit sector and industry advocacy’s revolving door, we’ve kept up with all of the latest hires, resignations, retirements and promotions over the past few months so you don’t miss a beat. Check out who you need to know.

UK Parliament Panel Urges Government To Speed IP Reforms

The United Kingdom government has done a “considerable amount” of high-grade policy development work in the year since publication of a key report on the health of its intellectual property regime but must move faster, the Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee said on 27 June. It strongly criticised Britain's approach to the controversial proposal for a unified EU patents.

US-EU Transatlantic Trade Deal Would Skip IPRs

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday released an interim report with the European Union on ways to expand transatlantic trade and investment. But apparently this would not including trying to bridge differences on intellectual property rights.

UN Non-Takeover Of The Net: ITU’s Touré Calls For Documents To Be Public

UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary General Hamadoun Touré today in Geneva announced he would propose to the ITU Council later this month to make the draft documents for the much-debated International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) publicly accessible. The effort could help diminish some of the hype in the United States about an effort by the UN to increase control of the internet.

WHO Paper: How To Guard Against Tobacco Companies – And Trade Law

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.

Canada, Mexico Tilt Weight West In Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks

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.