Category Enforcement

Guilty As Charged? Pakistan And The Special 301 Reports

Owais Hassan Shaikh writes: According to the section of US law on Special 301 reports, a country may be considered a priority foreign country even when it is fully compliant with the WTO Agreement on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the main multilateral agreement on IP rights today. Hence, this legislation and the determinations made in the Special 301 reports prioritize protection of commercial interests of the US nationals.

WIPO Copyright Committee In Freewheel Mode; Conversation Continues

It is difficult to understand whether the prospect of a treaty protecting rights of broadcasters is getting nearer or farther away at the World Intellectual Property Organization, as some countries are still calling for a diplomatic conference to finish the treaty, while others are saying agreement on core issues such as what and who the treaty should protect seems elusive. And the committee discussion of copyright exceptions and limitations was nourished by non-governmental entities explaining the need for those exceptions.

At WIPO, Music Industry Points Fingers At YouTube For Hiding Behind Safe Harbour

YouTube is recognised by many as the world’s biggest music platform. Listening to music on YouTube is free for users. However, according to the music industry, it pays very little in terms of revenue, mostly from advertising. It is time that the safe harbour laws behind which YouTube is hiding, creating a market distortion, be revised or better applied, music industry speakers asserted this week at a World Intellectual Property Organization side event.

WSIS2016: Software Licensing Matters – To Everybody

A special committee at the World Intellectual Property Organisation on software licensing, a globally harmonized software licence model and a dispute resolution system were among the ideas presented to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) at panel it hosted at day one of the 2016 WSIS Forum meeting in Geneva.

On IP Protection, USTR Finds Fault With China, India … And Switzerland?

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) does not hesitate to add even its closest friends to its annual list of concerns about possible inadequate protection of US intellectual property rights. So this year, along with perennial listees China, India and dozens of others, vigorous IP-rights defender Switzerland makes an appearance. The annual Special 301 report was issued today, and in its press release this year, USTR also included its primary client in publishing the list - the rightsholder industry.

WIPO Members Urged To Overcome Differences On Disclosure Of Origin Of Designs

This week, World Intellectual Property Organization delegates are being urged to come closer on remaining issues in a potential treaty facilitating the registration of industrial designs for international applicants. This is easier said than done, though, as a number of WIPO members request that the treaty allows countries to request applicants to disclose the source of their designs, and other countries find this would defy the harmonising aim of the treaty.