China, Russia Are Most Restricted Countries For Digital Trade, Index Says
A new European index measuring the extent to which 64 countries restrict digital trade found China at the top of the list, while New Zealand was the most open.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Interpol Highlights Takedown Of Deadly Global Fake Food And Drink Operations
Weevil-infested flour, deadly methanol added to alcohol, borax to make products seem fresher, pesticide-laced shrimp, fake medicines. Global police organisation Interpol today detailed a multi-agency operation that dismantled nearly 50 criminal networks worldwide that provided fake and substandard food and drink that put people in danger and killed dozens.
Litigation Exposure, Brand, Data Security Top Concerns For US Consumer Products Companies
A new private-sector survey of large companies making consumer products showed their greatest concerns are exposure to litigation, followed by protection of brand equity and privacy/data security issues.
US Supreme Court Rules Inter Partes Review Legal
United States Patent and Trademark Office inter partes reviews are legal and do not violate Article III of the Constitution or the 7th Amendment, the US Supreme Court said today. While the decision was expected, practitioners before the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board can now rest easy, as one patent lawyer put it.
USPTO Seeking IP Attaché In New Delhi
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has attachés around the world specialised in intellectual property issues, including but not limited to enforcement. The office today announced an opening for a new attaché to be located in New Delhi, India, a key post.
Protection Of New Technological Designs, Country Names, GIs At WIPO This Week
New technological designs, such as symbols, visual metaphors, and pointing devices are on the menu of this week’s meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on trademarks. The protection of country names against registration as trademarks and their use on the internet, and geographical indications are also prominent topics, and an information session will be held tomorrow. Discussions on a potential industrial design treaty will be kept for the WIPO General Assembly this fall.
Interview With Dominik Thor, Founder Of IPCHAIN Database
Distributed ledger technology, commonly called a Blockchain, has recently become a highly popular term in many different industries for its cost-saving and operational risk reducing potential. In this interview with Intellectual Property Watch, Dominik Thor, the founder of IPCHAIN Database, a startup that focuses on IP protection through the use of Blockchain, explains about the ways this new technology can revolutionise the IP sector.
Music Creators Unite To Lobby US Congress On Music Modernisation Act
WASHINGTON, DC -- What better way to get the music community's message across than sending an army of creators to meet with policymakers. In a nutshell, that's the purpose of Grammys on the Hill, an initiative from the Recording Academy, which organises the prestigious US music awards, and which has also developed a strong advocacy activity.
USPTO Issues Notice Of Guidance On Subject Matter Eligibility
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today issued a Federal Register notice providing guidance to patent examiners on patent subject matter. The office is seeking public comments on the new guidance.
Africa Needs To Know What It Can Trade As A Continent, Speaker Says At E-Commerce Week
A number of African countries just joined the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area. However, e-commerce remains very marginal on the continent, which is struggling to keep up and reap the benefits of this booming business platform. During a panel of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development E-Commerce Week, an African entrepreneur gave his vision of what is hindering Africa's e-commerce development, including the lack of awareness of what Africa has to trade.