Category Venues

The Big Shift: A Look At Key Issues In International Copyright In 2013

Although pressure on internet service providers and other online companies to stop digital infringement isn't likely to abate this year, the current focus on enforcement appears to be giving way to a broader debate about how to resolve long-standing copyright issues to the benefit of users and the global economy. Talks continue in the World Intellectual Property Organization and elsewhere on exceptions and limitations, as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement remains controversial.

US Senate Judiciary Committee 2013 Agenda Includes Privacy, Press Freedom

The United States Senate Judiciary Committee in 2013 will address topical issues of gun violence and immigration, but will also take up issues of citizens' civil liberties in light of ever-increasing security measures, and a push for government transparency, freedom of the press, digital rights, access to books for the visually impaired, and incentives for innovation.

UNITAID Wins Rights To Internet Domain Names

Unitaid, the drug purchasing facility affiliated with the UN World Health Organization, has won the rights to a series of internet domain names using its name, including unitaid.org. A World Intellectual Property Organization dispute panel found the names had been registered by a private party with the apparent intent of demanding a significant payment from the well-funded Unitaid.

After A Tough 2012, IP Owners In US Face An Uncertain 2013

Intellectual property owners in the United States may be happy to see the end of 2012. Among the notable setbacks they suffered last year: Congress refused to expand remedies against online infringement, the Supreme Court raised the bar for patentable inventions, and lower courts repeatedly denied injunctions against patent infringement. It is unclear, however, if IP owners will fare better in 2013.

Reform Of EU Data Protection – Largest EU Lobbying Campaign Ever?

“We live in an age changed and characterised by the use of information about individuals and personalised data and we need clear and differentiated rules how to handle this,” Green Member of the European Parliament Jan Philipp Albrecht, one of the lead rapporteurs for the data protection reform in Europe, said today. “General principles alone are not sufficient.”

EPO Staff To Get Disputed €28M Bonus, Despite Protest

The European Patent Office Administrative Council in December agreed to award a controversial bonus of tens of millions of euros to EPO staff at the end of 2012, with 24 positive votes and 8 negative votes. Several stakeholders had protested the proposal and encouraged contracting states in the Administrative Council to vote against the measure.

US Issues Statement On Injunctions In Cases Of Standards Essential Patents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office and US Department of Justice yesterday issued a joint policy statement on standards essential patents that encourages voluntary technology licensing on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, and discourages injunctions or exclusionary orders that block infringing products from the market. Their advice to the International Trade Commission cites innovation, competition, consumers and the public interest.

IP-Watch Looks At The Year Ahead In International IP Policy

What will 2013 bring for international intellectual property and innovation policy?

In the coming Intellectual Property Watch series for subscribers, our expert writers take a look at the top global policy issues and events in copyright, public health, legal battles, food security/biotech/biodiversity, trade, development, internet governance and more.

Collaborative Capacity Building In Intellectual Property — Leveraging On African Diaspora Exchange

Depending on where one locates its advent, contemporary globalization is now more than half a century old. It might be asked whether globalization has been beneficial to Africa. One quick and easy way of addressing this often asked question is to cursorily look at the regional dynamics of over half century of globalization. And this leads to an urgent call for "homeland-Diaspora" intellectual property training, says Prof. Chidi Oguamanam.