Category Regional Policy

High Quality Patents Could Keep Patent Trolls In Check In Europe, EU Report Finds

A new report by respected economists under the European Commission has found that problems of patent assertion entities in Europe could be better controlled if patent quality stays high in the region. It also found that the majority of patent assertion entities in Europe have focused on vulnerable targets – mainly in the telecommunications sector - and the report provides significant research on such entities operating in the European Union. The findings shine light on the key role of standard essential patents, with suggestions for policymakers and predictions about the impact of the prospective changes to the European patent system.

Protecting Online Access To Safe And Affordable Medication

High drug prices are a global public health crisis. This is mostly the case among lower income countries but also for citizens and residents in the US, where tens of millions are not filling prescriptions due to cost. The international online marketplace is a much-needed lifeline for consumers who cannot afford prescription medication where they live. People deserve the widest possible access to safe and affordable medication, including online access, and the Internet community can help, says Gabriel Levitt.

From Personality To Property: Data Protection Needs Competition & Consumer Protection Law, Conference Says

MUNICH -- Will personal data become a property right licensed to those who give you the best deal for it? Researchers at a conference convened by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich delved into a future “holistic approach” of intellectual property, data and consumer protection, with additional assistance from competition law.

US High Court Puts Unreasonable Delay On Trial

On its face, the case is a humdrum, procedural dispute about a patentee’s delay in filing an infringement suit. But if the Supreme Court rules the way most experts expect, the decision will significantly enhance the power of patent trolls and others alleging patent infringement, and it will harm many companies doing business in the US – especially companies in the tech sector. Much hangs in the balance on 1 November, when the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in SCA Hygiene Products AG v. First Quality Baby Products, LLC.

Citizens’ Summit Contra CETA: It’s Not Only Wallonia

With the vote on the European Union-Canada trade agreement (CETA) on the agenda once more at the upcoming EU Council meeting tomorrow the representatives of European and Canadian cities and regions gathered at Brussels today for a “CETA Citizens' Summit.” Gerardo Pisarello, vice mayor of the city of Barcelona, said that cities like his see CETA as a barrier to their plans to remunicipalize water and energy services and the attempts “to open up public procurement to small companies and cooperatives."

Trump Silence On IP Policy Leaves Rights Owners Baffled

While US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has published detailed positions on intellectual property, technology transfer and trade, Republican candidate Donald Trump has limited his comments to trade reform and alleged Chinese IP theft. The policy vacuum has left the IP community not only uncertain of Trump's intentions but unable even to find the right people to ask, one IP attorney said. [Note: story updated with a comment about IP made by Trump]

Nearly 100 Organisations Press For Better Medicines Access In Asian Region RCEP Agreement

Nearly 100 health, community and development organisations working in the Asia-Pacific region issued a call for trade ministers negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement to "reject provisions that would negatively affect access to generic medicines." Negotiators are meeting from 17-22 October in China, and the concern is about the intellectual property chapter of the deal.