Category IP-Watch Briefs

US Food And Drug Administration Issues Equivalence Guideline For Biosimilars Producers

Biotherapeutic medicines are made out of living organisms and cannot be replicated. No generic medicines, which are exact copies of the reference product, can be made. The generic equivalent of a biotherapeutic would be biosimilars, which are highly similar products. The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a guide to help producers to prove how close their biosimilars are to the biotherapeutics.

ECJ Advocate General Says EU Commission Cannot Make Trade Deals Without Member States

Not all parts of the European Union-Singapore trade agreement "fall within the EU’s exclusive competence and therefore the agreement cannot be concluded without the participation of all of the Member States." This is the result of an opinion of the European Court of Justice Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston published today.

Trademarks Promote Economic Growth In Latin America, Industry Study Says

A new study by intellectual property trade associations analysed the correlation between trademarks and their economic impact on several Latin American countries. The study found that trademark registration is growing in the region and promotes economic growth.

Music Industry Groups In Harmony In Calling For Support From Trump

A wide array of music industry groups, from Christian to classical, rhythm & blues to movie soundtracks, and everything in between sent a letter to United States President-Elect Donald Trump urging him to take their intellectual property rights into consideration…

ICC Named UN Observer – Big Business Gets A Seat At The UN Table

The International Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business organisation, today was granted observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, given business a direct voice in the UN system for the first time ever, the ICC announced.

USPTO Director Lee Discusses Importance Of Patent Quality

Opening a conference on patent quality today, United States Patent and Trademark Office Director Michele Lee highlighted efforts of the administration in improving the quality of patents and addressing backlog of patent applications. Patent backlog is down by one-third since the start of the Obama administration, she said.