Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The European Copyright Society, an august group of copyright experts from across Europe, has issued a letter to new European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Günther Oettinger supporting his mandate to pursue copyright reform and calling for a unification of European copyright laws.
WASHINGTON, DC – Last week was ‘old home week’ for officials in the United States intellectual property attaché program, as they returned before the holidays from their posts around the world. Speaking publicly, the officials gave mixed reports on the fight to advance IP rights worldwide. They also heard harsh but determined words about the situation in Geneva from the industry perspective. Two more attaché offices will open next year, and several attachés last week called for an elevation in their rank in order to enable them to have access to higher level officials in other countries.
BRUSSELS – In an age where technology and globalisation play an ever-increasing role, it must be asked whether the policy goals and structures of the intellectual property system remain relevant in Europe and beyond. In this regard, the newly elected “Junker Commission,” in office from 1 November, offers a chance to issue new IP strategies and strengthen the pre-existent IP infrastructures.
In light of such changes, the Pan-European Intellectual Property Summit (IP Summit) with its unique blend of keynote speakers and 25 workshops, running from reforms at the European and national levels to sectorial business practices across the spectrum of IP fields, provided once again a platform for fresh and critical ideas.
World Intellectual Property Organization members continuously work to ensure international copyright policy is as responsive and helpful as possible to global changes. One thing they don’t lack is outside opinions on what they should do.
A number of side events were organised during the 8-12 December WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). Topics addressed in these events ranged from international cooperation in film production (IPW, WIPO, 8 December 2014), to access to copyrighted works in libraries and educational institutions, to a proposed treaty on broadcasters’ rights, as well as the interface between copyright and competition.
There is an uptick in India-United States relations. US President Barack Obama will be in India in January as the chief guest at the country’s Republic Day Parade. Obama, who hosted India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington in September, will become the first US president to attend such a celebration, a display of India’s military might and ethnic diversity, as well as the first to visit India twice while in office.
World Intellectual Property Organization members have been working in relative secrecy this week to decide how far to apply intellectual property rights protections on broadcasts. To guide them, nongovernmental organisations offered a range of views, from sweeping protections to scaling back the proposed treaty.
From EDRi: Ville Oksanen, Vice President and a founding member of Electronic Frontier Finland (Effi), passed away on Sunday 23 November 2014 in Helsinki from a sudden illness. He was 37 years old.
Alberto Bichi is secretary-general of the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), based in Brussels. In an interview with Intellectual Property Watch’s Catherine Saez, he describes FESI's mission, the views of the industry on the importance of intellectual property protection, and the growing issue of counterfeiting. He also talked about the industry's concern over the current European Union customs regulation on goods in transit, which, according to him is negatively impacting the sector.
Public health activists and others have been watching closely in recent months as United States government and industry officials meet steadily and intensively with Indian counterparts to press change in that country's intellectual property policy toward greater protection and recognition of western IP rights. A particular area of concern has been in pharmaceuticals, as India is said to be the world's top supplier of affordable generic versions of drugs under patent that otherwise would be out of reach for millions of poor patients. Several activists have raised alarm over a meeting this week of US IP industry representatives with top judges in India.
NEW YORK - Strong intellectual property rights will be a top priority for the pharmaceutical industry internationally in the coming year and arguments over IPRs versus medicines access are false, a top representative said at a high-level industry event this week. But views at the event differed on expectations of industry in light of the Ebola crisis, hepatitis C drug costs or other medicines access questions.