Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A presentation of the Tunis Model Law this week at a World Intellectual Property Organization side event addressed how it could be updated and used as a tool to help developing countries implement new developments in international copyright-related law.
Nongovernmental organisations attending the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee meeting which this week sought to breach differences on what a treaty protecting broadcasters should cover, expressed their views with some unusual coherence.
During a signing ceremony held today at the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Union, France, Greece and India signed the treaty adopted last June to provide a wider access to copyrighted books in special format for visually impaired people.
The first half of this week’s World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee meeting was devoted to a potential treaty to protect broadcasters’ rights. Delegations struggled to find common ground on core questions such as the scope of the protection to be granted and specific rights. This was partly attributed to the highly technical nature of the subject and informal consultations were said to have achieved more clarity on issues.
The United States Supreme Court yesterday issued two rulings that were bad news for patent assertion entities, or "patent trolls". Thanks to these decisions, trolls and other patentees could be on the hook for millions in fees whenever they bring frivolous patent infringement suits.
NEW YORK – The annual Fordham Law School IP Law and Policy Conference held last week offered an intensive two days of in-depth legal issues in intellectual property, with a mix of perspectives from representatives of intergovernmental organisations, governments, courts, industry, and a smattering of public interest advocates.
Can the World Trade Organization’s smallest members use the dispute settlement system effectively? That is a question that seemed to be suggested by the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda at a WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting yesterday, in an intellectual property-related case involving a United States gambling ban.
The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body yesterday agreed to establish two more panels in a dispute against Australia's plain packaging for tobacco products, bringing the total to five. And it was agreed that a single panel will be appointed to study the five complaints.
Russia, Cuba, India and the civil society stakeholder group did not agree to the final outcome document of the NETmundial internet governance meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil yesterday.
The latest United Nations report on climate change offers advice for international and national intellectual property policies relating to climate change mitigation technology. Although strong IP rights may foster green technology development and transfer in developed countries, there is a lack of evidence to support IP strengthening in developing countries, it concludes.
The final outcome document of the two-day NetMundial internet governance meeting in Sao Paolo has been posted. The meeting took place on 23-24 April. The document is available here. The 11-page “statement” document contains different sections addressing key related and…
Japan and the United States today announced their renewed commitment to an ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The statement from the bilateral leaders’ meeting followed reports that bilateral talks toward the TPP were stalling. The White House statement reads: “The…