Category Regional Policy

US Copyright Agenda Stalling In Congress

NEW YORK -- The music community in the United States has a wide copyright agenda covering various business issues and stakeholders. While it had entertained the notion that a new President with its new administration and Congress would be more sympathetic to the complex needs of the industry, it is still waiting for the Trump administration to act on copyright issues, judging from comments made by various stakeholders in the legislative process during an industry panel in New York this week.

Panel Advances Key Public Interest Issues In Gene Editing Technology

WASHINGTON, DC -- The still-emerging breakthrough CRISPR gene editing tool has the potential to transform the field and do enormous good for humankind. But let’s make sure we understand it better and ensure the public interest before launching into using it too widely. Meanwhile, companies and researchers are actively licensing the technology. That was a message of a set of panellists working close to CRISPR’s development, speaking at a recent event in Washington, DC.

USTR Launches Review Of IP In Thailand After Reported Improvements On Enforcement

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today announced an "out-of-cycle" review of Thailand's intellectual property policies after what USTR said were reports of improvement on several IP issues including trademarks and enforcement. Another area of the review will be pharmaceuticals.

Malaysia Grants Compulsory Licence For Generic Sofosbuvir Despite Gilead Licence

A much cheaper version of a groundbreaking hepatitis C medicine is expected to be available soon for the hundreds of thousands of hepatitis C patients in Malaysia, as it decided to grant a compulsory licence to sofosbuvir, according to sources. The decision comes right after the medicine originator decided to expand its voluntary licensing scheme to four more countries, including Malaysia. [Updated]

EU Copyright Reform Meets Resistance From Stakeholders, Some Governments

With a vote in the lead European Parliament committee imminent on European Commission plans to revamp copyright rules, industry stakeholders, digital rights activists and even some EU member states are troubled by various legislative amendments and EU Presidency compromise proposals.

EU Commission Position Paper On IP And Brexit: Trademarks, Designs, GIs

To say Brexit is a conundrum is almost a euphemism, the list of issues to settle between the 27 remaining European Union members and the United Kingdom seems bottomless. Intellectual property is no exception, and the European Commission Brexit-dedicated task force has issued a position paper on IP, setting out principles for the “UK’s orderly withdrawal from the EU.”

WIPO Study Chronicles Remarkable Rise In Trademark Filings In China Province

A programme of promotion, education and incentives combined to bring about a remarkable rise in trademark filings in the Chinese municipality of Qingdao, a joint study of the World Intellectual Property Organization and Qingdao municipal government found.

CSIS Report Finds Tech, Innovation Partnership Opportunities In Developing Countries

"There are clear opportunities to accelerate and expand opportunity through innovation and technology around the world," finds a new report from the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). And the United States - and any other developed country - would do well to position itself as a "partner of choice for developing countries that want to transform their economies through science, technology and innovation," it said. But strong intellectual property rights and a business-friendly environment are a necessity, it argues.

European Libraries’ Five Principles For Open Access Negotiations With Publishers

European research libraries have issued five principles for libraries to use when holding open access negotiations with publishers, seeking to prevent over-charging and promote transparency and sustainable access.