Original news and analysis on international IP policy
An international outcry from open internet proponents has emerged over draft US legislation, HR 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), on the eve of a hearing on the bill. International critics say the bill would put the United States on the same ground as China with regards to internet filtering, undermining the US argument for internet freedom.
Thirty-three research institutions, associations and foundations in North America last week signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, committing to support open access research in the future. The signing brings the total signers to nearly 300, including many of the top research institutions in the world.
The World Trade Organization today announced that Russia and the WTO working party for its accession have come to agreement. The Russian Federation began negotiating to join the World Trade Organization before the WTO’s landmark agreement on intellectual property rights entered into force. Now, Russia will become party to the agreement upon joining the WTO.
A new study by a Harvard business professor has found that protection against copyright liability increased investment in the cutting-edge technology of cloud computing.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is undertaking to explain the apparent contradiction in the strong enforcement of intellectual property rights and efforts to ensure freedom of expression on the internet. And she said the State Department will keep saying it in the future.
Trade associations from various copyright-intensive industries have released a report showing they account for nearly $1 trillion in value to the United States economy, and provide some 5 million jobs.
The World Health Organization-led working group of member states addressing “substandard/spurious/falsely-labelled/falsified/counterfeit” (SSFFC) medical products has reached consensus on a new mechanism to prevent and control SSFFC medical products and associated activities. The creation of the new mechanism comes as the future of WHO involvement in an interagency anti-counterfeiting taskforce is in question.
Trade associations representing US technology industry interests this week attacked a new House of Representatives bill aimed at fighting so-called "rogue" websites, calling it "an alarming step backwards in internet policy" that would create "a thicket of internet regulations containing 16 new legal definitions for evolving internet technology."
The top members of the United States Congress for international trade policy have put intellectual property rights and information technology market access at the top of demands for Russia's impending accession to the World Trade Organization.
A company has filed a patent infringement complaint in the Eastern District of Texas that names 30 defendants, including some of the largest US technology companies, a case that reflects a change in US law as passed last month.
The role of online intermediaries in copyright enforcement is on the international negotiating table in recent plurilateral trade agreements. Those negotiating with the US would be advised to examine carefully what is being offered, writes Margot Kaminski.
Legislation giving new powers to the government and copyright holders in the United States to unilaterally block payments to or take down websites deemed by US courts to be infringing intellectual property rights has been introduced into the House of Representatives. Now the policy fight begins.