Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains

US Chamber International IP Index: US, Europe At Top; India Needs A Push

The United States Chamber of Commerce today released its fifth annual International IP Index, which makes the case for the positive impact of intellectual property on economies. The United States scored highest, followed by top European economies and Japan. And near the bottom was India, despite recent efforts to accept the IP system. Separately, the report assesses international trade rules for IP and argues for nations to negotiate "TRIPS-plus" agreements.

The New Caribbean Patent Convention And Caricom Stasis

Abiola Inniss writes: The creation of the Caribbean Patent Convention under the auspices of Caricom is a long awaited and most welcome development towards the harmonization of intellectual property laws in the region. Even more importantly, it is an indication that Caricom leadership has at long last, after a lengthy period of stagnation and indeterminacy, finally decided to engage the process of thought and action necessary for the promulgation of a legal and regulatory framework for Caribbean intellectual property. The convention is expected to be enacted later in 2017.

Report Puts Value Of Counterfeit/Pirated Goods At US$2 Trillion By 2022

A new report by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Trademark Association (INTA) estimates that some US$213 billion was lost to digital piracy in movies, music and software in 2015. The report also projects that by 2022, the total value of counterfeit and pirated goods in the world will reach somewhere between US$1.9 to 2.8 trillion.

Year Ahead: A Rather Speculative Year In Global Trade

An interesting year lies ahead for trade policymakers. With US President Donald Trump sticking to his “America First” announcement pulling back from the Trans-Pacific Partnership right away, a new trade (world) order might be in the making. In every crisis, there is opportunity, Argentinian Trade Minister Susana Malcora said in Davos during the January World Economic Forum (WEF) where the business elite otherwise traded concerns at the beginning of an unpredictable year 2017.

Canada-Europe Trade Agreement: One More Vote To Clear

Just a day after US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament passed a recommendation in favour of adopting the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU. Meanwhile, the EU Trade Commissioner said trade is not to blame and the EU will negotiate many trade deals this year.

IP Law In The US: A Look Ahead

Whatever else could be said of 2016, it was undeniably interesting. That’s likely to be true, too, for 2017. Even the staid area of US Intellectual Property Law may face dramatic changes. Here's the likely most important of those changes.

World Economic Forum Hears Hopes And Fears: Too Early To Predict Trade War

It is too early to push the panic button with regard to the rise of protectionism under new US President Donald Trump, David Cote, CEO of US multinational Honeywell, said on a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum today in Davos.

WEF Davos: Who Will Own The Knowledge Produced From “Our” Data By Machines?

Artificial intelligence has succeeded the Internet of Things or the earlier cloud mania as buzzword number one at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum that started today (17 January) in Davos, Switzerland. While ethical questions surrounding the intelligent machines are discussed at length and the question for regulatory steps considered, answers of who will own the knowledge created by machines or intelligent bots vary.