Category Development

The Changing Copyright Climate And WIPO: Interview With IPOS Chief Executive Daren Tang

The copyright committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization is meeting at the end of May with some complex issues on the agenda that may see new approaches for moving them forward, including the protection of broadcasting organisations, and limitations and exceptions to copyright for certain actors such as libraries and archives. Daren Tang, the chair of the committee, and chief executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), recently engaged in an interview with Intellectual Property Watch's Catherine Saez, providing his insights on the discussions, changes in the world affecting copyright, and what to expect of the next session of the committee.

Patentes Sem A Realização De Análise Técnica: Uma Péssima Solução Para O Século 21

Historicamente, o Brasil se encontra na vanguarda dos países em desenvolvimento, pressionando por um regime de propriedade intelectual (PI) mais equilibrado.

Patents Without Examination: A Bad Solution For The 21st Century

The Brazilian government's plan to deal with its patent backlog by making approvals without review is a recipe for disaster. It will move the backlog to the courts, with endless suits over duplicative and frivolous patents, write Arjun Jayadev and Dean Baker.

USPTO Seeking IP Attaché In New Delhi

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has attachés around the world specialised in intellectual property issues, including but not limited to enforcement. The office today announced an opening for a new attaché to be located in New Delhi, India, a key post.

Africa Needs To Know What It Can Trade As A Continent, Speaker Says At E-Commerce Week

A number of African countries just joined the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area. However, e-commerce remains very marginal on the continent, which is struggling to keep up and reap the benefits of this booming business platform. During a panel of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development E-Commerce Week, an African entrepreneur gave his vision of what is hindering Africa's e-commerce development, including the lack of awareness of what Africa has to trade.

ASEAN Members Want A Regional Agreement On E-Commerce, Less Developed Members Struggle To Catch Up

A group of Asian countries is working towards a regional agreement on electronic commerce. During the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development e-commerce week, less developed countries of this group explained the difficult catch-up they have to fully enter into e-commerce nationally and internationally, particularly because most of their companies are small. Transport businesses, meanwhile, called for special customs rules for small companies to ease their participation in global e-commerce.

Carlos Correa Named Head Of Intergovernmental South Centre

Prof. Carlos Correa of Argentina, an influential academic whose analyses of patents and medicines access have informed debates and challenged the status quo for decades, has been named the next executive director of the South Centre. He will take over for Martin Khor, who will be retiring after nine years at the helm. Separately, former South African President Thabo Mbeki was named chair of the Board.

UNCTAD Ecommerce Week Opens, Development Dimensions, Data Protection

As regulation of data protection is high in the global news feed following Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony to the United States Congress, the fourth edition of Electronic Commerce Week of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) opened today.

Dozens Of NGOs Oppose Proposed EU Watch List On IP Rights

A wide-ranging list of international nongovernmental organisations today issued a letter to European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström opposing a proposal to establish a "watch list" of countries deemed failing to protect European intellectual property. The groups raised concern that the list would violate World Trade Organization rules on intellectual property, have a chilling effect on developing countries' public health initiatives, and lead to expanded and untenable levels of IP enforcement.

IPRs Seen To Impact Climate Change Technology Transfer In Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya -- With high vulnerability to adverse effects of climate change, African countries are keen to develop, acquire and disseminate technologies for mitigation and adaptation.