Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A major action was announced today by the United States Justice Department as it arrested 16 people and executed 35 search warrants for alleged hackers mostly said to be involved in retaliation by the group Anonymous against PayPal for blocking payments to Wikileaks after it released a large number of classified documents late last year. Five arrests were also made in Europe.
The official responsible for the staid World Intellectual Property Organization internet domain dispute resolution procedures has again come out strongly against efforts by another international body to reform those dispute procedures.
In the face of a severe food shortage, Kenya's Cabinet has approved imports of genetically modified maize, though it has drawn the line on use of GM maize as seeds, a regional newspaper reports.
The largest United States industry association continues to push for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) to be the model of the highest intellectual property rights standards of any US agreement, matching the US-Korea free trade agreement.
Global public health experts in charge of exploring ways to finance R&D on diseases endemic in developing countries last week provided a preliminary summary of assessments on proposals provided by various stakeholders. They also made recommendations to establish global mechanisms, including a binding global instrument for R&D and innovation for health.
The European Commission today presented its annual report on customs activities related to intellectual property rights (IPR) infringing goods, finding sharp increases in some areas and leading to calls for new enforcement measures.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is holding a two-day meeting to increase awareness of intellectual property rights throughout the region.
The European Organisaton for Nuclear Research (CERN) today issued an open hardware licence for electronic designs, following its principle of “open science.”
The governments of Spain and Italy have filed complaints with the European Court of Justice calling for the annullment of a March European Council decision to create an EU unitary patent.
The joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today praised the commitment made by India's Commerce Minister not to negotiate stronger intellectual property rights provisions that could undermine India's global leadership in the production of affordable generic AIDS drugs.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) today published a communiqué on principles for internet policy-making slanted toward intellectual property enforcement after fending off efforts by public interest groups to soften some of its edges.
A high-level meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is expected to pass a set of "principles on internet policymaking" tomorrow. But over 80 non-governmental groups have announced they will not sign on to the communiqué.