A Global Digital Magna Carta? Maybe, But First Identify Needs, Panel Says
NEW YORK - A recent panel of internet governance experts was divided on whether a primary global set of principles protecting the balance of power on the internet is needed.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
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IP Rights Get A Good Look At Fashion Law Conference
NEW YORK – A daylong event on fashion law devoted significant time to ways intellectual property rights are increasingly providing protection in the fashion world – including with the advent of 3D printing.
Supplier of Essential Medicines Supports TRIPS Waiver For Least-Developed Countries
The IDA Foundation, a worldwide supplier of essential medicines to low-and medium income countries, has backed the request by least-developed countries to extend a waiver that allows them to forfeit the obligations to protect intellectual property on pharmaceutical products. UNITAID, the UN-related drug purchasing mechanism, also issued a statement in support of the extension. The request is expected to be discussed at the World Trade Organization in June.
Manila Principles On Intermediary Liability Offer Vision For Balance
A new set of principles launched this week by a range of global non-governmental organisations attempts to set out guidelines for internet intermediaries’ liability for content of communications. The six principles, which are seeking endorsement from organisations and individuals worldwide, address freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to privacy.
IP Industry Issues Report On Intermediaries’ Role In Fighting IP Infringement In Supply Chain
A leading business group has published a report that it says shows how intermediaries can help keep fake and pirated products out of the supply chain and off the internet. The International Chamber of Commerce BASCAP (Business Action to Stop…
New Book: ACTA And The Plurilateral Enforcement Agenda: Genesis And Aftermath
The new book, “The ACTA and the Plurilateral Enforcement Agenda,” offers an insightful read on the highly debated Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), an effort to raise intellectual property protection that was met with opposition by many countries and was subject to intense scrutiny from non-state actors, including industry, civil society and academics.
Revolving Chairs In The IP World: People Shift Positions. But Interests? Not So Much
A lot has happened among the global intellectual property community over the past months. Beyond the usual shifts in law offices, many key positions have either changed hands or been filled. For example, the European commissioners changed, and the United States nominated a new "piracy czar" and a new head of the US Patent and Trademark Office. The International Telecommunication Union, UNITAID and other organisations have new heads. And the World Intellectual Property Organization has a new top management team.
Non-governmental organisations and the private sector also saw a lot of movement in recent months, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, the International Trademark Association, the International Publishers Association, and the Motion Picture Association of America.
In this article, we take the opportunity to catch up. Here is a look at some of the changes.
EU IP Policy Proposals, Initiatives Come Clear At 20th European IP Forum
PARIS – A recent gathering of IP owners, lawyers and government officials explored strategies and potential policies to fight counterfeiting and piracy.
South Africa Awaits Patent Reforms With Hope, Concern
CAPE TOWN - South Africa’s new policy on patents could go to the Cabinet for approval soon, says Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF), one of the organisations spearheading the Fix the Patent Laws campaign in the country.
In 21st Century No One Should Die For Lack Of Access To Medicines, Participants At UN Forum Say
Last week’s 2015 Social Forum led by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called for urgent action to facilitate access to medicines. In particular, the functioning of the intellectual property system was put into question. A number of recommendations were drawn by the secretariat after having been identified by participants.
Stakeholders Give Opposing Views On GIs In EU-US Trade Agreement
Geographical indications – product names deriving from geographical origin or certain characteristics – are increasingly on the table when trade negotiations include Europeans, who are trying to recover names long used around the world. In a recent stakeholder event for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), both sides of the GI issue made their case.
US Challenges For Biotech In 2015 – An Interview With BIO’s Hans Sauer
The biotechnology industry is closely watching developments in the United States that could impact the industry in 2015. These include the regulatory framework for biosimilars, possible patent legislation, post-grant review procedure, and the consequences of the recent Supreme Court ruling banning the patenting of human genes. Hans Sauer, Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), recently spoke with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez. Sauer was asked to lay out the main developments to watch in the coming year.