Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch BRUSSELS – The ‘fragmented’ nature of Europe’s patent application system is harming small firms, a Brussels event has been told amid new efforts to harmonise it. Ever since the early 1970s, the European…
Par Dugie Standeford pour Intellectual Property Watch Les critiques à l’égard des fournisseurs d’accès Internet (FAI) se font de plus en plus vives concernant leur rôle dans le piratage de musique en ligne. Les détenteurs de droits d’auteur et les…
[Note: new Commerce Department letter added 16 June] By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Performance-rights groups and broadcasters went head-to-head Wednesday as the two sides testified before the United States Congress as to whether conventional…
Por Dugie Standeford para Intellectual Property Watch Los proveedores de servicios de Internet (ISP, por su sigla en inglés) reciben cada vez más ataques alrededor del mundo por la función que cumplen sus redes en la piratería de música en…
By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch
WASHINGTON, DC - A careful balance must be struck between ensuring the quality of the United States patent system - and the patents themselves - and antitrust law to ensure that new technologies and services can be brought to market, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, experts said in Washington Monday.
"Imbalance can result in less competition, less innovation," Deborah Garza, deputy assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice's antitrust division, said during a meeting of the Intellectual Property Owners Association.
By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch
A United States Patent and Trademark Office procedure for third-party patent challenges is in turmoil and needs rethinking, an investigation by an independent think tank has found. Though few in number so far, inter partes reexaminations are increasingly used in conjunction with, rather than as an intended replacement for, patent infringement litigation. On top of that, the USPTO is taking years to resolve the cases, leaving business plans in disarray.
The USPTO said it is working to cut delays in the system.
Por Claudia Jurberg para Intellectual Property Watch RÍO DE JANEIRO – Hace poco, el Tribunal Supremo de Brasil aprobó, por un margen estrecho de 6 a 5, la investigación sobre células madre embrionarias, luego de analizar el tema durante tres…
By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Government representatives from developed nations and strategic developing nation partners met at the US mission in Geneva on 3-4 June to discuss proposals for an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Parties at the negotiation…
Note: the final decisions of convention on biological diversity governing body are available here.
A decision on a way forward on a global access and benefit-sharing regime was reached at a meeting of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity from 19 to 30 May in Bonn.
The main body of the document describes steps needed to reach international consensus on the content of such a regime. Annex I of the document sets out a draft text for the international regime, and annex II contains terms of reference for expert technical and legal groups whose creation is mandated by the main text.
Por Monika Elmert para Intellectual Property Watch Se espera que las negociaciones formales sobre un Acuerdo Comercial Antifalsificación (ACTA, por sus siglas en inglés) comiencen esta semana en Ginebra, indicó un funcionario de la Comisión Europea, no obstante que un…