European Parliament Rejects Referral Of ACTA To EU High Court
The Committee of International Trade of the European Parliament today voted against referring the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Europe
UK Parliament Group Conducts Post-Hargreaves Inquiry Into IP Policy
The All-Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group in the United Kingdom is undertaking an inquiry into the government's role in intellectual property (IP) promotion and protection, less than a year after the publication of an independent and comprehensive review on the UK's IP system.
French IP Industry Experts Discuss IP Portfolios, Trademarks Online
PARIS – Intellectual property assets and how they influence corporate value, plus trademarks in the digital world were discussed last week by intellectual property professionals gathered in Paris.
French IP Lawyers Prefer No Favours For Green Tech Patents; Welcome America Invents Act
PARIS - A meeting of IP professionals held in Paris last week reaffirmed the importance of intellectual property and its protection to the private sector. Meanwhile, panellists at the event argued that green technologies should not benefit from a special regime. They also hailed the new America Invents Act as facilitating patent applications in the United States.
Debate Heats Up Ahead Of EU Parliament Discussion On ACTA
Opposing opinions on the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) clashed anew ahead of next week's meetings of the European Parliament where the EU body may make critical decisions on the fate of the deal.
Council Of Europe Passes Internet Governance Strategy
In passing a comprehensive Internet Governance Strategy, the Council of Europe (CoE) today laid claim to a front runner position in the human rights dialogue for the internet.
Take The Brussels University Survey On Beliefs About IP
The Free University of Brussels has set out to map predominant normative and causal beliefs regarding IP laws and policies. To give your input and participate in the survey, click on www.surveymonkey.com/s/IP_Community.
Blocking Of Internet Traffic Common In Europe – EU Report
Operators and internet service providers in Europe resort mostly to blocking voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) and peer-to-peer traffics to guard the security of and prevent congestion on their networks, according to a preliminary report from the European Union telecommunications regulator, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).
European High Court Hears Case With Impact On Buying Software Online
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) this week held a public hearing on a German case involving software companies Oracle and UsedSoft, the second step to a ruling that could potentially set new rules for buying and downloading software on the internet.
A High-Level Collegium Calls For New Global Governance
A collegium of scientists, philosophers and former heads of state launched an appeal yesterday in Geneva for world governance they called "Global Solidarity, Global Responsibility."
Berlin Court Rules Facebook Violates User Rights
The District Court of Berlin, Germany, yesterday ruled that user rights were violated by several parts of social media site Facebook's general terms and conditions and by its "friendfinder" feature. With regard to copyright law, the automatic worldwide exploitation right granted by users clicking off the terms and conditions was invalid, the court ruled.
Study Seeks To Correct Flaws In Europe’s Copyright Levy System
A recent study has proposed at least two measures to address the gnawing problems in Europe's copyright levy system, which is being implemented differently in 22 countries in the region.