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WIPO Chief Calls for Seamless, Global, Legal Digital Content Regime

ATHENS - In what the representative of a major consumer group called a “big step,” World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry on 6 June called for development of a seamless, global, legal, digital content marketplace that could offer the chance to bridge seemingly intractable copyright issues. Speaking at a conference in Athens hosted by the Greek EU Presidency on copyright and Europe's digital agenda, Gurry said the search for such a market should take the form of a dialogue that includes all stakeholders.

Dutch Supreme Court Allows Evidentiary Seizures In All Civil Cases

In civil litigation, obtaining the necessary evidence to substantiate a claim can be rather challenging. This can be particularly problematic if the required evidence is in the possession of the opposing party or even a third party. In the Netherlands, this problem is strengthened by the fact that the concept of US style discovery or UK style disclosure does not exist. Levying evidentiary seizures could therefore be a powerful tool, say two Dutch-based attorneys.

Shifting Sands In The Global IP Community

Just as the world of international intellectual property law and policy is ever-changing, so are the faces within it. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a new deputy director in Silicon Valley veteran Michelle Lee, who has been acting as director. Many changes occurred at the US Trade Representative’s office, including the naming of a top tech industry lobbyist as deputy USTR, the return to Geneva of a key US figure at the WTO, and the defection of a top IP negotiator to the copyright industry.

Open AIR Research Project On African IP Presented At WIPO

The Open AIR project has gone global. The research project’s findings were presented in a recent side event at the World Intellectual Property Organization. The findings, published in two books, assess how people from different African countries and sectors consider and use intellectual property and present three possible scenarios about how people will innovate in the next two decades.

Innovation Occurs In Informal Economy, Needs Policy Framework, Panellists Say

Findings of a World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) project show that innovation occurs in the informal sector, and generates employment and development. Panellists at a recent side event to the CDIP called on policymakers to be mindful of this sector and implement policy frameworks, in particular in developing countries.

Open Policy Network Launched

A new network has been launched with the aim of promoting open policies worldwide. The network brings together dozens of nongovernmental organisations, universities, international organisations, foundatioins and individuals under guiding principles and a work plan. According to its website, Open…

WHO Bulletin Focusses On BRICS And Global Health

The June edition of the World Health Organization monthly Bulletin is dedicated to public health and the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). That was a key issue of the recent World Health Assembly, as the emerging economies gain strength and coordinate their efforts to improve health access for their citizens, particularly as they graduate from global aid projects.