Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains

Andrei Iancu Named US Patent And Trademark Office Director

By a vote of 94-0, the United States Senate on 5 February confirmed California intellectual property litigator Andrei Iancu as next director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The new Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property is currently managing partner of Irell & Manella LLP’s Los Angeles firm. The patent and trademark communities wished Iancu luck but said there are many issues at the agency that need his attention.

Analysis Of The Working Group On Enhanced Cooperation On Public Policy Issues Pertaining To The Internet

Richard Hill writes: The Tunis Agenda calls for enhanced cooperation to address issues related to the Internet and its governance. However, there was no clear agreement on how to implement enhanced cooperation, so a Working Group on Enhanced Cooperation (WGEC) was convened to discuss that matter and to prepare recommendations. A first WGEC group failed to find agreement, so a second group was formed. In 2018, fifteen years later, the digital divide is worse, spam is worse, and security and privacy have become key issues; the fact that ICANN operates under the jurisdiction of the USA is also at times raised. Some are of the view that the evidence shows that current mechanisms are not working.

WIPO Traditional Knowledge Division Provides Capacity Building, Publications

The protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge through the intellectual property system has been discussed for many years at the World Intellectual Property Organization. While delegates are working on potential international instruments to provide such protection, the WIPO Traditional Knowledge Division is involved in technical assistance and capacity building, providing information and issuing publications.

Republic Day Of India Celebration In Geneva: Sounds, Sights, Tastes – And History

Friends and followers of the nation and culture of India gathered in Geneva this week to celebrate India's Republic Day, with a ceremony and feast held in the halls of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization. Among the many achievements and areas of growth mentioned of the rising economy was its prowess in generic medicines production.

JPO Refused To Register Wordmark “ROMEO GIGLI” Due To Lack Of Consent From Italian Fashion Designer

In a recent decision, the Appeal Board of Japan Patent Office (JPO) refused to register trademark application no. 2015- 100245 for a red-colored word mark “ROMEO GIGLI” in gothic script (see below) designating goods of Class 24 and 25 on the grounds that applicant failed to obtain a consent from Italian fashion designer, Romeo Gigli, based on Article 4(1)(viii) of the Trademark Law, writes Masaki Mikami.

ITU: 4 Of 5 People In LDCs Can Access Mobile Networks, But Are Not Using Internet

A new report by the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) shows "great strides" in mobile phone penetration in least-developed countries. However, those countries are well behind developed countries when it comes to internet usage.

Moving Landscape In The IP World – Organisations, Industry, Law Firms

The end of 2017 and start of 2018 brought a lot of changes in the global intellectual property arena. The World Health Organization underwent major changes in its leadership following a new head elected in May, UNAIDS has a new deputy executive director, the World Intellectual Property Organization is seeking a new leader of its Global Challenges division, and the Board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers decided on a number of appointments. The European Patent Office elected a new president, and the industry world also saw its share of changes. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations welcomed some new faces, and the head of the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry is changing. Law firms saw a high level of revolving chair movements, and promotions of attorneys to partners.

Year Ahead: Copyright, Unified Patent Court Remain High On EU Priority List

Plans to update European Union copyright rules advanced in 2017 but remain contentious heading into the new year. The proposal for a directive on copyright in the digital single market is the subject of intense debate between the EU Presidency and the European Parliament, with no clear end in sight to the negotiations. Several issues, including a possible “ancillary right” for news publishers and a plan to force online platforms to filter all uploads to combat copyright infringement, remain unresolved.

Other copyright matters, such as a regulation on broadcasting and a review of the EU database directive, are in the works. On the patent side, a pressing question is whether – and when – the EU unified patent and patent court (UPC) might finally launch.

Several EU comprehensive trade agreements, which include provisions on intellectual property rights, are under negotiation.

Cases to watch in the European Court of Justice include a referral from the Netherlands on the issue of whether the taste of cheese can be copyrighted.

USTR Notorious Markets: Online Ads Still Funding IP Infringement; Alibaba Fires Back About Report

The Office of the United States Trade Representative today released its annual list of the worst outlaw online and physical markets around the world, citing a range of major sources of problems in every part of the world. The list this year highlights new technologies, identifies online advertising as a large revenue source for counterfeiters, and includes Chinese online market Taobao, owned by internet giant Alibaba, for the second year in a row, leading the company to claim bias and politics are at play.

Morrison & Foerster’s 2018 Predictions On Intersection Of Technology And Law—From Web Scraping To Blockchain

From the Morrison & Foerster Socially Aware blog: Happy 2018 to our readers! It has become a Socially Aware tradition to start the New Year with some predictions from our editors and contributors. With smart contracts on the horizon, the Internet of Things and cryptocurrencies in the spotlight, and a number of closely watched lawsuits moving toward resolution, 2018 promises to be an exciting year in the world of emerging technology and Internet law.