Category North America

Public Library Must Provide Accessible E-Readers Under US Law

The United States Justice Department and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento, California Public Library Authority to fix violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act caused by using Barnes & Noble NOOK electronic reader devices in a patron lending programme. The readers excluded persons who are blind or have other disabilities requiring features such as text-to-speech or access through audio or tactile options. The library will no longer purchase exclusionary devices and has agreed to acquire a set of accessible ones, as well as train staff on the requirements of the disabilities law.

Revolving Door: US Copyright General Counsel Joins Music Industry

Continuing the revolving door tradition between the United States government intellectual property and trade officials and the industries they represent, David Carson, general counsel of the US Copyright Office, will join the top international music industry association in September. Carson will assume a role of influencing policymakers in drafting legislation to protect and promote copyright. His is latest in a series of moves blurring US industry and government lines, and extending to the UN.

Isolated DNA Declared Patentable By US Court Of Appeals

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit released a decision today (16 August) on the patentability of genes in yet another twist to the so-called Myriad case. At stake was the patentability of two human genes associated with hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Myriad Genetics' patents were challenged by the Association for Molecular Pathology.

Innovation And The Law: Some Lessons From The Patent Wars

They’ve been at each other’s throats for three years, and there’s no end in sight. Over two dozen businesses involved with smartphones and tablet computers are suing one another for patent infringement in numerous lawsuits around the world. These patent wars have cost the companies billions of dollars, clogged the courts, and prevented consumers from buying some devices they want with features they prefer. Is this really the best way to promote innovation and competition?

US Congress Members Demand Access To TPP; ACTA Criticised In Australia

More than 130 members of the United States Congress have sent a letter to the US Trade Representative demanding greater access to the still-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, while a new bill is being introduced to reform US trade policy. And another Congress member who earlier publicly leaked the intellectual property rights chapter of the agreement has sent a request to be included as a member of the US delegation to the negotiations.

A Bigger, Meaner Patent War

It’s been called a patent war, and it’s raging over much of the globe. In at least ten countries - including the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and South Korea - Apple is locked in ferocious legal battles against Google, Samsung and HTC over whose smartphones and tablets infringe whose patents.

There’s a lot a stake: Damages could run into billions of dollars. Even worse, the loser could wind up being forbidden to sell its products in various markets.

This costly, high-stakes global patent war may seem unprecedented. But according to many experts, that’s only partly true. In many ways, this patent war is similar to major patent disputes in the past. And it is likely a foretaste of more patent wars in the future.