Europe Learns The Truth(s) About ACTA
The truth about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is different depending on which side you are on.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Europe
Special Report: The Significance Of Europe’s Ruling On Google Ads And Trademarks
The European Court of Justice’s recent ruling in Google v. Louis Vuitton Malletier SA has been hailed a major legal victory for Google and other search providers. That, however, is only part of the story.
Risk Of Wrongful Medicines Seizures Seen In EU-Central America Trade Deal
A new accord designed to bolster political and economic ties between the European Union and Central America could result in greater seizures of medicines whenever pharmaceutical companies allege that their patents have been infringed, public health advocates have warned.
EU To Request Publication Of ACTA Documents To Stop “Rumours”; Civil Society Meeting Planned
Europe will request the publication of the current drafts for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) at the next ACTA negotiating meeting in New Zealand in April, EU trade official Luc Devigne said today.
Speaking at the third EU stakeholder meeting on the hotly debated ACTA today in Brussels, Devigne also said there is also a meeting with civil society planned to take place alongside the New Zealand round.
Influential EU Industry Group Urges Stronger IP Focus In Trade Relations
Greater emphasis should be placed on intellectual property issues in the European Union’s trade relations with developing countries, a leading employers group has recommended.
European Broadcasters Call For Easier Copyright Clearance For Online Content
European Union copyright law needs to be amended so that the clearance of copyrights is simplified for online content, the European Broadcasting Union said today. The group presented the results of an analysis it conducted today at the European Parliament in Brussels.
European Parliament Votes To Rein In Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty
The European Parliament today voted overwhelmingly in favour of a demand to be kept fully informed about the secretive Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement under negotiation by the European Commission and about a dozen countries outside Europe. Parliament also opposed controversial provisions such as personal searches at European borders and cutting internet access for anyone found infringing copyright online three times.
Leading IP Offices Target Patent Backlog, Economy; Differ On Harmonisation
The backlog in patent processing could impose £7.6 billion (about USD$11.3 billion) in annual expenses on the global economy within the next five years if nothing is done to fix it, according to a new economics study from the United Kingdom released this morning before directors of several top global intellectual property offices.
Tough IP Health Provisions In Europe’s Colombia/Peru Trade Deal
Far-reaching provisions on the patenting of medicine have been inserted into a controversial free trade agreement between the European Union and Colombia and Peru.
ACTA Negotiators: Maximal Protection Proposals Unlikely In Final Text
The chapter on copyright protection in the digital environment under negotiation in the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is still in an embryonic state, said negotiators coming back from the recent ACTA negotiations in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Contradictory Court Rulings, Continuing Tension On Internet Liability In EU
In its 2010 digital music report, the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said that despite the availability of 400 legitimate online music offerings worldwide and significantly higher 2009 revenues, the music sector remains hard-hit by peer-to-peer and emerging forms of copyright infringement.
Year Ahead: Biotech And Patentability Under Debate In The US, EU
Biotechnology lies at the intersection of a wide spectrum of fields, such as agriculture, health and environment. Because biotechnology relates to life sciences, it is often the subject of ethical, sometimes intense political debates between stakeholders, in particular involving intellectual property rights. In 2010, as the first signs of global economic recovery are emerging, the debates are expected to increase.