Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Key European stakeholders have approved a "ground-breaking" set of principles for digitising and making publicly available out-of-print books and journals. The accord could serve as a template for dealing with the vexing problem of orphan works, those for whom the copyright owner cannot be found, according to International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations CEO Olav Stokkmo.
US President Obama today signed a bill into law that many patent professionals and international observers may never have thought they'd see: the widescale reform of US patent law. What the impact will be on the US economy or on other nations remains to be seen.
A conference being held in South Africa this week will address the sensitive topic of intellectual property and innovation in the developing country context. On hand will be a top team of developed country experts with a mix of Indian and Chinese specialists.
The Office of the US Trade Representative this week released a position paper on medicines and trade, in the midst of a controversial negotiation for a trade agreement with Pacific-bordering nations. The USTR "white paper" was billed as trade goals to enhance access to medicines, but stirred sharp criticism from public interest groups which found its claims of promoting medicines access for the poor disingenuous.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced that Trevor Mundel has been named president of the foundation's Global Health Program. Mundel is global head of development for Novartis Pharma in Basel, Switzerland and will start at Gates on 1 December.
Over the objections of eight countries, ministers from the European Union on Monday extended copyright protection for performers and record producers from 50 to 70 years. The move brought cheers from the recording industry and copyright royalty collecting societies, but doubts from some governments and jeers from a major consumer group.
A new multi-stakeholder declaration demanding that the public interest be returned to intellectual property rights was issued this week and is open for signatures by anyone, already collecting hundreds of supporters. The declaration contains numerous principles and actions, such as restraint in enforcement, open access, and development priorities, that the drafters hope will help change the course of IP policymaking.
A grand jury in the United States has charged website Ninjavideo.net with criminal copyright conspiracy for allowing large-scale unauthorised movie downloads, the US Justice Department announced today.
The United States Senate on Thursday passed historic patent reform legislation – but not before some heated debate on the chamber’s floor. It now goes to President Obama for his signature. Intellectual Property Watch offers a look at who wins and what will now change.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiated last year will be open for signature for two years, until the first of May 2013. But while this looks like a long time, it likely will be needed by the 37 negotiating governments (including the United States, Japan, South Korea and the 27 European Union members) to iron out problems on their way to implementing what some rights owners welcomed as a possible new “gold standard” for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
The International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) has submitted comments on the proposed European Union directive on orphan works, which aims to increase legal certainty for use of creative works whose copyright holders cannot be found. The group, which represents collective management organisations, authors and publishers, called for collective management and licensing for orphan works.
The United States Senate on Tuesday was debating patent reform legislation that would make the first significant reforms to the US patent system in nearly 60 years.