All Eyes On US Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA): Fate Of Bill Now Unclear
As of today, no one is really sure what the future holds for the controversial internet anti-piracy bills in the United States.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains
WHO Board Considers Reform, Director Re-Election, Key IP-Related Issues
The UN World Health Organization Executive Board opened its annual January meeting today with a substantive agenda of reform, election, and a variety of issues that touch on intellectual property rights, research and development and innovation. And with the organization in reform and funding straits in a rapidly changing world, the director general stressed the agency’s steadfast approach and role in addressing the increasing global inequality between rich and poor.
Change Of Year Brings Changes In IP Community
The turning of a new year offers the opportunity to catch up on a range of recent personnel changes in the international IP policy and legal communities.
Danish EU Presidency Priorities Include Research, Innovation, IP Rights
Among Denmark's many priorities for its six-month presidency of the European Union which started this month are advancing intellectual property rights, international trade, research and innovation. IP issues include a unitary EU patent, trademark rules modernisation, and orphan works legislation.
USPTO In Obama’s Proposed Consolidation Of Trade-Related US Agencies?
US President Obama today announced a proposal to combine six government agencies working in areas of international trade and economics, aimed at boosting efficiency. This includes the Commerce Department, which currently houses the US Patent and Trademark Office, and it appears it would affect the USPTO.
The Year Ahead 2012: Top IP Legal Issues In The United States
This year could bring major changes in US intellectual property law. Congress and the nation’s courts will be confronting a variety of issues that have broad ramifications for copyrights, trademarks and patents. Here are some of the top developments to watch in 2012.
Next TPP Talks In March But Intersessionals Ongoing; Canada Seeks Views On Joining
The next round of negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement is expected to be held in March in Australia, but secretive intersessional meetings on a variety of topics are being held in the meantime. Meanwhile, the Canadian government is considering joining the TPP talks, and is asking for public comments on the idea by 14 February.
ICANN Announces New TLD Program Start
On the eve of the start of the application period for new generic top level domains (gTLDs) on the internet, the chair of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Steve Crocker, described the program as a "major step in the globalisation of the internet." For the first time there will be equal access and an equal invitation to users from all over the world to have generic domain names, Crocker said at the National Press Club in Washington, DC today.
ICANN Says Domain Expansion Won’t Hurt UN, WTO
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is launching a large expansion of the available top-level domains on the internet on 12 January, has told international organisations the expansion will not hurt them.
US Competitiveness Report Shows Struggle With Balance Of IP And Access
A new report from the United States Department of Commerce on competitiveness and innovation details the US need to boost innovation in order to compete globally and grow the economy. But while it stresses the need for strong intellectual property rights enforcement to create high-priced monopolies as an incentive for innovation, it also acknowledges that access to inexpensive technology and ideas is key to innovation and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, it shows that the rise in IP rights in recent years has been accompanied by a drop in innovation.
Change In USPTO Representation At WIPO Could Reflect Shift In Priorities
The sudden change in officials in charge of international policy at the United States Patent and Trademark Office could reflect shifting priorities at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
NTIA Supports New Domains – Phased In, With Protection
The US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has announced its support for additional policies for new generic top-level domains on the internet, with conditions. The Commerce Department agency will stick to the 12 January start of the application period for new domains, but it has requested that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) take additional precautions when opening up the process.