Category Bilateral/Regional Negotiations

A User-Focused Commentary On The TPP ISP Safe Harbors

Annemarie Bridy writes: Section J of the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s IP chapter, on ISP safe harbors, looks a lot like Section 512 of the DMCA [US Digital Millennium Copyright Act], but the two frameworks differ in some important respects that could negatively impact the global environment for user speech online. This post offers a comparison of Section J and Section 512 with a focus on the rights of users and the status of user expression in the TPP’s intermediary safe harbor provisions.

US, China Talk Standards & IP, Trade Secrets, GIs, Broadcasting, Enforcement

The 26th United States-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) meeting was held from 21-23 November, and covered a wide range of intellectual property-related areas, including standards and IP, trade secrets, geographical indications, sports broadcasting, enhanced enforcement against media boxes and unauthorised content providers, and online enforcement.

Governments, Industry Offer Mixed Hope For Multilateral IP Policymaking

WASHINGTON, DC -- The sun may be setting on multilateral policymaking in intellectual property in the eyes of industry, but leading United States and European Union representatives insist on its continued vital role in trade and economy. But a “new narrative” is needed as they emphasise bilateral and plurilateral agreements.

‘One Battleship Has Arrived In Port’ – A Japanese View On The TPP

The TPP is done, or not quite. But what is still lacking, what are next steps and what does the finalised deal do to the grand picture of the mega-trade deal landscape? Japanese economist Nakagawa Junji, Professor of International Economic Law Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, shares a view from Japan with writer Monika Ermert.

TPP Text Is Out, Finally, With Lots Of Bilateral Specialities

Four weeks after the finalisation of the agreement, the final text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was finally released by the United States and other partners of the first of the regional mega-trade deals. The parties hurried to underline the success of the negotiations, but early reactions were deeply divided.

India, US Take Stock Of Work On IP; To Boost Copyright, Trade Secrets

The trade ministers of the United States and India yesterday reviewed work from the past year on a full range of intellectual property issues and made new commitments, as part of their larger bilateral trade policy forum. Among the issues was a commitment to work for access to medicines, increase work on trade secrets, and deepen copyright cooperation in acknowledgement of the two biggest entertainment industries in the world.

Court Orders USTR To Justify Industry Advisor Confidentiality In TPP

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) next week is expected to provide justification for withholding from a Freedom of Information Act request the communications with its industry advisors as confidential commercial or financial information. The case involves communications in the lead-up to completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, and could set a precedent for exemptions of communications with lobbyists.

After TTIP Round, “Important” Differences Remain On GIs, Negotiators Say

At the conclusion of another round of talks for a bilateral trade agreement in Miami today, Europe and the United States negotiators said they remain far apart on the issue of protection of geographical indications. But they made progress on pharmceuticals and medical products, they said.

Evolution Of The Copyright Exceptions And Limitations Provision In The TPP

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement contains an important provision concerning achieving balance in the copyright systems of the twelve countries party to that free trade agreement. This provision was not present in the early draft of the agreement. Then, in…

OECD Innovation Report Urges Governments To Stop Policies Unduly Favouring Incumbents

An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report released today sets out principles governments can adopt to boost innovation, thereby increasing productivity and economic growth.