Original news and analysis on international IP policy
An expert working group under the auspices of the World Health Organization tasked with finding ways to finance research and development for diseases that disproportionately affect the poor has released its much-anticipated report. The report is available here [pdf]. After…
The Office of the United States Trade Representative released 23 December a report to the US Congress concerning China’s compliance with its obligations under the World Trade Organization. It is available here. The report examines China’s commitments over a list…
Computer technology giant Microsoft has lost an appeal on a patent case that now could see the company withdrawing the current versions of two of its widely-used software programmes from the market. The dispute concerns a computer language for document…
The term of protection on sound recording for performers and producers has been extended in Argentina from 50 to 70 years, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The extension of the protection was supported by the…
US internet search engine company Google was sentenced by a French tribunal to pay a €300,000 euro fine to French publishing company La Martinière on 18 December but plans to appeal, according to sources. According to the judgment posted on…
The World Trade Organization’s dispute-settling Appellate Body has issued its report on a complaint made by the United States against China on “Measures Affecting Trading Rights and Distribution Services for Certain Publications and Audiovisual Entertainment Products.” The case concerns measures…
The General Council of the World Trade Organization on 17 December agreed to extend a deadline for accepting an amendment to the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement by two years. The amendment would make permanent a temporary…
Intellectual property rules are the predominant tool to manage knowledge ownership and diffusion, but the complexity of IP regimes at the bilateral, regional or multilateral levels as well as the strengthening of these rules is a source of tension between…
The provisional list of registered participants to the 7-18 December United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen is out, and a look at it reveals the variety of people considered relevant to the timely and cross-cutting issue. A look…
The placement of specialised United States government intellectual property attachés overseas, such as in Beijing and Guangzhou, China; New Delhi, India; and Bangkok, Thailand, has had an overall positive impact on coordination of international IP enforcement efforts, the US Government…