Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A technology industry-friendly economic study released today found that changes to European copyright laws in recent years have negatively impacted venture capitalists' investments in cloud computing companies. This followed several French and German court rulings, it said.
The roles of governments, civil society and industry in ruling the internet - and other spaces - seems to be in a profound change. With governments in cross-border law enforcement situations increasingly unable to protect fundamental rights, as European Parliament Member Marietje Schaake said during a session of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) in Stockholm last week, it seems to be civil society that can do something about it.
The United Nations agency on trade and development this week published its Economic Development in Africa 2012 report, which argued, among other things, that the region’s sustainable future depends on using flexibilities in intellectual property rights as appropriate.
While the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office is reviewing the so-called "tomato case," collateral questions are being raised about the consequences on plant innovation of the non-patentability of some processes.
Informa has announced a range of upcoming events and courses on the essential aspects of intellectual property and technology of interest to Intellectual Property Watch readers. Here is the list:
Events:
IP Dispute Resolution - 28 - 29 June 2012, Grange City Hotel, London, UK
European Trademarks 2012 – 3rd July 2012, Grange City Hotel, London, UK
Protecting Corporate Information – 5th July 2012, One Drummond Gate, London, UK
IT Law Summer School 2012 – 30 July - 3 August 2012, Downing College, Cambridge, UK
IP Summer School - 13 - 17 August 2012, Downing College, Cambridge, UK
Distance Learning Courses:
Computer and Communications Law LLM, PgDip - from Queen Mary, University of London
UK, EU & US Copyright Law LLM, PgDip - from King's College London
European Union institutions this week informally agreed on how to handle “orphan works” - those whose creators cannot be found. The proposed new directive is the first legislation to come out of the European Commission (EC) intellectual property rights strategy adopted in May 2011, Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier said on 6 June.
All seems to come down to the numbers on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: how many protesters will turn up at the ACTA Action Day in Europe tomorrow and how many members of the European Parliament (EP) will vote for it in plenary on 3 July. Without the EP agreement, ACTA will fail, at least in Europe, observers say.
On the eve of the 9 June Europe-wide protests against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), journalist Jennifer Baker of IDG met with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Christian Engström (Pirate Party) & Niccolo Rinaldi (ALDE) to discuss the current state of affairs with regard to the ACTA. Watch the video.
A conference entitled the "5th Product and Pipeline Enhancement for Generics" to be held in Washington, DC on 17-19 July will feature industry leaders in the generic, branded pharmaceutical and API industries. Issues covered will include current and upcoming changes in regulations and the market, innovation in drug pipeline, portfolio management and business development, intellectual property protection and biosimilars.
The heads of the world's five largest intellectual property offices, who refer to themselves as the IP5, met today to discuss further efforts to improve quality and efficiency in patent examination, and harmonise patent systems. Joining them were industry representatives from each of the regions.
Does the idea of a multifunctional, versatile position-sensitive detector for measuring characteristics of a beam of particles spark ideas for useful products of benefit to society and the economy? If so, then CERN has just the thing for you. In an attempt to boost the utility of its research, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the Geneva-based intergovernmental laboratory, today announced a plan to offer its patented technologies for licence royalty-free in order to promote innovation.
International trade rules related to intellectual property rights enshrine the notion that there may be cases where exceptions to IP rights are needed by governments, such as sovereign decisions on a nation’s public health. Using those flexibilities could save millions of lives but may mean taking a tough stance in free trade negotiations with bigger trading partners, concluded a meeting of Asian stakeholders this week.