Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Trade ministers negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement have released the list of provisions they have suspended, including a range of articles related to intellectual property rights, such as patentable subject matter, test data protection, biologics, copyright terms of protection, and technological protection measures.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has grasped the nettle after years of discussion on the issue of limitations and exceptions to copyright, and provided draft action plans, one each for libraries, archives, museums, educational research institutions, and persons with other disabilities than sight impairment. The plans, being discussed in this week's committee meeting, include brainstorming sessions, studies, and regional seminars, and conferences to advance understanding and issues related to copyright for those particular actors.
Waymo likely could have avoided a lawsuit against Uber over driverless car technology if it had an effective policy to prevent trade theft by its employees, legal and security experts say.
The practice of building custom software is alive and well despite the emergence of tons of ready to use offline and online business apps. Businesses build custom software for various reasons. Some are unsatisfied by solutions available on the market, others need very specific features or overall functionality, security and privacy concerns are another major driver of tailored software development. The process of building custom software involves five basic stages, if you stick to traditional software development workflow, or an indefinite number of iterations under agile development method. Both approaches, however, include various scenarios in which intellectual property rights are involved, writes Jorge Sagastume.
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) met a few days ago and took a number of decisions, such as approving its budget for the 2018/2019 biennium, adopting a document describing the union's contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the extension of the appointment of its vice secretary general. Civil society, however, has issues with UPOV's take on its contributions to the SDGs. They also reiterated their request that farmers be included in UPOV's decisionmaking.
Statements were praiseful at the close of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on trademarks, industrial designs, and geographical indications meeting this week. After a number of unsuccessful past sessions, delegates agreed on a work programme on geographical indications. They also decided on a half-day information session on the examination by trademark offices of requests including country names, during the next session of the committee.
The Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn) launched a worldwide compilation of geographical indications today at the World Intellectual Property Organization. The compilation, which lists over 7,000 geographical indications, beyond providing a technical tool, is also presented as a tool of reconciliation.
The World Intellectual Property Organization committee on trademark, industrial designs and geographical indications meets next week. Among the issues expected to be discussed are whether and how country names should be protected in trademark applications and on the internet. The committee also will consider again deepening its understanding of how GIs are protected at national and regional level, whether through trademarks or a sui generis system. And on the agenda next week is an information session on new technology designs, such as icons and type fonts used on internet, social media, smart phones and tablets.
Your brand is everything in the global marketplace. It is no exaggeration to say that a business now lives and dies by both its offline, online and social reputation. Because of this, searching a trademark is more vital than ever before. It is important for trademark professionals to work faster and more effectively in searching, clearing and registering strong marks to ensure clients have a competitive advantage. To do so requires the merging of the old and new: the specific knowledge that only highly experienced trademark experts can provide, with the advantages of the latest wave of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, writes Ronda Majure.
The imbroglio which might cause a major impediment to the World Trade Organization's functioning is thickening as the United States continues to block the selection process to fill vacancies in the WTO Appellate Body, according to sources.