Original news and analysis on international IP policy
COPENHAGEN - As a candidate for the European Parliament elections on Sunday, the Swedish Pirate Party has “good chances” of winning one, two or possibly even three mandates, it says, referring to Swedish opinion polls.
Draft legislation to change United States copyright law related to payment for music on radio is likely to see action this summer in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the committee chairman said Thursday.
Draft rules on intellectual property rights in publicly financed research are stirring significant debate in South Africa between those who say the rules may stifle innovation, breach WHO commitments and be unconstitutional, and others who say concerns are overblown and the measures are needed to boost the country's economy.
The practice of brand name companies paying generic manufacturers to delay the entry of lower-priced generics into the market could become illegal, if a bill before the United States House of Representatives passes. The bill (available here [pdf]) is “to…
China is blocking its citizens’ access to leading international social media and news websites in the lead-up to the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square anti-democracy massacre in Beijing. Media and information sharing sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Blogger, and…
Names and biographies of the seven people who will likely lead the World Intellectual Property Organization secretariat under Director General Francis Gurry have been officially released on the WIPO website here [pdf]. Intellectual Property Watch reported on the new deputy…
The United States Supreme Court, the nation’s highest court, has decided to review a case involving patenting of business methods, which could have a significant impact on the future of patenting. On 30 October 2008, the US Federal Circuit Court…
A well-known European economist has been named the first-ever Chief Economist at the World Intellectual Property Organization, according to sources.
After intensive negotiations, the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee reached agreement Friday night on a plan to address a proposed treaty on copyright exceptions for visually impaired persons and others. There also appeared to be a renewed focus on a decade-old treaty proposal on audiovisual performances, according to participants.
A treaty on copyright exceptions for visually impaired persons proposed this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization met with no immediate objections, according to participants, but how to treat the proposal and other limitations and exceptions in the future has led to a sharpening divergence among governments.
With US health resources, a “wide gap remains between what can be done with existing knowledge and what is actually being done” says a new report by the National Academies Institute of Medicine, which is meant to advise the Obama…
The World Intellectual Property Organization is expected this month to create a new deputy director general for global challenges, and will raise trademarks to the DDG level while moving copyright responsibility back to the assistant director general level, according to sources at WIPO. The appointments have not been finalised and consultations may be continuing.