Category Access to Knowledge/ Education

L’éditeur d’un logiciel open source accuse IBM de concurrence déloyale – IBM demande une analyse

IBM fait l’objet d’une plainte pour concurrence déloyale portée devant la Commission européenne par l’éditeur d’un logiciel open source, qui accuse le géant de l’informatique d’empêcher les consommateurs d’utiliser ce logiciel. Au même moment, la communauté open source craint que le fait qu’IBM, développeur de logiciels open source de premier plan, revendique ses droits de propriété intellectuelle pour barrer la route à un concurrent ne représente une menace pour les logiciels libres et open source, et ne conduise à anéantir les revendications de propriété intellectuelle émises par d’autres acteurs. IBM, pour sa part, réaffirme son soutien à la communauté open source et demande à l’entreprise concurrente d’expliquer dans quelle mesure le logiciel en question n’enfreint pas ses droits de propriété intellectuelle.

Shareholders In 3G Mobile Patent Company Seek US Investigation Of Nokia, Ericsson

Two shareholders in a Pennsylvania company with patents key to third generation (3G) mobile communications want the US Department of Justice to investigate European mobile phone manufacturers Nokia and Ericsson and others for failing to pay royalties for use of the technology. Antitrust scrutiny is needed to prevent the same thing from happening as the next generation of mobile phones rolls out, Richard Monahan and Kent Greene say.

Free Software Used To Fight Piracy, Broaden Knowledge Access In Ecuador

A joint project being launched by a regional non-profit group along with the Ecuador’s intellectual property office (IEPI) aims to reduce software piracy by offering a free software alternative through public libraries. The initiative is meant to encourage the use of legal software and thereby lower the piracy rate.

Open Source Company Alleges IBM Antitrust; IBM Requests Analysis

Computer giant IBM is facing an antitrust claim before the European Commission brought by an open source software company alleging that IBM is preventing customers from using that software. Meanwhile, the open source community is worried that the use of intellectual property rights by IBM - a leading open source software maker – to block a competitor will endanger free and open source software and might uncap other IP rights claims from other players. IBM, for its part, is reaffirming its support to open source community and has asked the competing company to explain how its software does not infringe on IBM IP rights.

WIPO, WTO Requested To Advise On Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty

Several members of the European Parliament today sent letters to the directors general of the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization requesting technical assistance in the negotiation of an agreement that some are calling an attempt to circumvent global norms on intellectual property enforcement and related public interest flexibility.

UK Passes Internet Access-Limiting Bill For Alleged IP Infringers

The United Kingdom Parliament late last night approved a controversial digital economy bill that allows the court to impose obligations on internet service providers to limit internet access of its users deemed to have infringed online copyrights.

Smooth Criminal Harmonisation — ACTA, EU And IPR Enforcement

Lassi Jyrkkiö writes: Anything one can consider as politically cool from an EU perspective, ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, the multilateral treaty to combat counterfeiting and piracy) negotiations have got it all: the internet, the USA, large potential for media exposure and a hitherto Nixonian element of secrecy balanced by a flow of thrilling documents leaked by generous deep-throats.

ITU In A Converging World — Interview With ITU Strategist Alexander Ntoko

The International Telecommunication Union, based in Geneva, is a 191-member United Nations body. Intellectual Property Watch recently spoke with Alexander Ntoko, a top strategist in the organisation about priorities in this critical year, inclusion of the public interest, and how convergence is bringing more issues related to digital content to the traditional telecom body.