Category Enforcement

Court Issues Decision On Intermediary Liability In Viacom v. YouTube

Today, a US appellate court released its decision in a key case in which rights holders asserted that online video site YouTube should be liable for copyright infringing content appearing on its site. According to a preliminary reading, the appeals court reversed the earlier decision, signalling that YouTube, owned by Google, could have known about infringing content and therefore may not fit under the safe harbor clause of the US Digital Millenniumn Copyright Act limiting the liability of online service providers.

William New
April 5, 2012

‘Counterfeit’ Dropped From New WHO Protocol On Illicit Tobacco Trade

A new treaty protocol against illicit trade in tobacco products struck today at the World Health Organization saw a late-stage decision to strip out references to “counterfeit” products from the text, according to sources.

William New
April 4, 2012
1 Comment

US Trade Barriers Report Signals Work Ahead

The annual US list of barriers to trade in other countries was published today, with profiles of dozens of trading partners from very large to very small.

William New
April 2, 2012

Second Annual US IP Enforcement Report Shows Extensive Efforts At Home And Abroad

The second annual report of the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) Victoria Espinel paints a picture of the United States' multifaceted and ever-expanding war on IP infringement, at home and abroad.

William New
April 2, 2012

European Parliament Rejects Referral Of ACTA To EU High Court

The Committee of International Trade of the European Parliament today voted against referring the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Monika Ermert
March 27, 2012
2 Comments

UK Parliament Group Conducts Post-Hargreaves Inquiry Into IP Policy

The All-Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group in the United Kingdom is undertaking an inquiry into the government's role in intellectual property (IP) promotion and protection, less than a year after the publication of an independent and comprehensive review on the UK's IP system.

Special Report: Focus On Intermediaries’ Role Rises As Internet Matures

With the commercial internet now in its early twenties, stakeholders are finding themselves at a crossroads, unsure whether to allow business as usual or embrace a more regulated regime. Intellectual property, with its penchant for protection, is one of those areas where the tug-of-war is most evident, and seemingly caught in the middle are internet intermediaries.

Nigerian Courts Step Up Against Copyright Piracy: 18 Convicted

The last year has witnessed a series of convictions of copyright pirates by the Federal High Courts in Nigeria. Information provided by Afam Ezekude, the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, the government agency responsible for copyright matters, shows that the courts have convicted copyright infringers in 18 cases within the last 5 months (October 2011 to February 2012).

French IP Lawyers Prefer No Favours For Green Tech Patents; Welcome America Invents Act

PARIS - A meeting of IP professionals held in Paris last week reaffirmed the importance of intellectual property and its protection to the private sector. Meanwhile, panellists at the event argued that green technologies should not benefit from a special regime. They also hailed the new America Invents Act as facilitating patent applications in the United States.

Catherine Saez
March 20, 2012

Debate Heats Up Ahead Of EU Parliament Discussion On ACTA

Opposing opinions on the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) clashed anew ahead of next week's meetings of the European Parliament where the EU body may make critical decisions on the fate of the deal.

Maricel Estavillo
March 19, 2012

US Group Creates Social Platform To Lobby For And Create Internet Reforms

Public Knowledge, a Washington, DC-based public interest group, has launched an initiative that capitalises on active participation from American online and social media users to lobby for the adoption of some reforms in internet governance aimed at protecting knowledge access.

More Foreigners Find Themselves Targets Of US Copyright Law

All the experts agree: US copyright law doesn’t apply outside US borders. But try telling that to Kim Dotcom, Aubrey Canning, or the growing number of other foreigners whose activities outside the United States have resulted in sanctions under US copyright law.