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Quest For US Termination Of Copyright Made Uncertain By UK Duran Duran Judgment

Efforts to reclaim rights under the US Copyright Act have increased recently as the window of opportunity for works created in the mid-20th century opens. In comparative cases, Paul McCartney's decision to take back copyright assignments of his music in the United States appears to have been the right choice but may hang on a questionable UK ruling denying the same request by members of rock group Duran Duran, several intellectual property lawyers said.

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.

Antimicrobial Resistance At WHO: Accelerating National Plans, Ensuring Accessibility

The rising threat of “super bugs,” bacteria resistant to existing antibiotics, was in discussion at the World Health Organization this week. Concerns were voiced about the slow pace of national action plan implementation to improve the careful use of antibiotics. Meanwhile some developing countries and civil society called for priority to be given to accessibility and affordability to new antibiotics.

Year Ahead: Copyright Issues Rank High On EU To-Do List This Year

Copyright, copyright and more copyright tops Europe's intellectual property agenda for 2017. With the EU institutions mulling major reforms to copyright laws, publishers are pushing for a right to bar unauthorised copying or reuse of their content for commercial purposes, audiovisual authors for fair remuneration for use of their works on platforms like YouTube. The European Commission will begin reviewing the enforcement of IP rights as well as delving further into issues related to liability of platforms for infringement. But there are many patent issues too, including plant variety protection, patent incentives, and the ongoing unitary patent court.

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.

Achieving SDG Health Targets Using ‘The Vital Role Of Law’

Effective laws, including those around intellectual property rights, and an enabling legal environment, are as essential to a healthy society as clean water, a group made up of a representative of the World Health Organization, academics and a legal expert for a civil society group, have asserted while launching a key report.

Nagoya Protocol Implications For Health, Flu Genetic Data On WHO Board Agenda

The World Health Organization recently published its analysis about the public health implications of the Nagoya Protocol on genetic resources access and benefit-sharing, and in particular how it affects the sharing of pathogens, like influenza viruses. The findings are set to be discussed at this month’s WHO Executive Board meeting. Also to be discussed is an experts group review of the WHO pandemic influenza framework, and in particular its conclusion that the framework should be amended to match scientific progress.

EU Study Recommends FRAND Clarification, More Coordination On 5G

The rapid development of information and communication technologies, and the need for greater interconnectivity driven by the Internet of Things has created a variety of standard-essential patent (SEP) owners and implementers with different business models, and for more diverse licensing practices, the European Commission Joint Research Centre says in a new study. This has made it harder to agree on an interpretation of FRAND licensing principles, something European policymakers must clarify in order to meet key digital single market and other goals, it says.