Intellectual Property Law

Comments of Knowledge Ecology International on the Proposal for ACTA

Posted on March 20, 2008
The Lack of Transparency is Not Encouraging. The Request for Comment in the February 15, 2008 Federal Register (Volume 73, Number 32), contains very little information about the proposal. The "Fact Sheet" on the USTR website has very little real information...

“UNESCO Policy Guidelines on the Development and Promotion of Governmental Public Domain Information” (Paul Uhlir) 2004

Posted on March 20, 2008

Public-Interest Principles for the Networked Communications Environment

Posted on March 18, 2008
Why is Free Expression Important in an Information Society? The UK-based "Freedom of Expression Project" posted "Public Interest Principles for the Networked Communications Environment". The draft document provides useful analysis on the importance of freedom of expression, open standards, interoperability, respect for privacy, and balanced copyright law as key policy goals for a healthy and robust information society...

WIPO Copyright Committee Considers Many Proposals for 2008 Work Program

Posted on March 15, 2008
WIPO Copyright Committee: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back  ‘Broadcast Treaty Chair’ Remains, Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright Considered (15 March 2008)  The WIPO Copyright Committee (SCCR) met from 10-12 March 2008 in Geneva to debate the future work program for the committee after the Member States of the WIPO General Assembly told the committee last Fall [...

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USTR - Special 301 Public Submissions 2008

Posted on March 15, 2008
Industry submissions to the USTR regarding its Special 301 list to recommend trade sanctions against foreign countries....

CFP 2008 Call for Proposals on “US Technology Policy for the Next Administration”

Posted on March 14, 2008
This year, the 18th annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference will focus on what constitutes technology policy. CFP: Technology Policy '08 is an opportunity to help shape public debate on those issues being made into laws and regulations and those technological infrastructures being developed...

Text Adopted by WIPO Copyright Committee on Exceptions and Limitations

Posted on March 13, 2008
Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua and Uruguay presented a proposal which elaborated further the proposal by the delegation of Chile (SCCR/13/5). Many of the delegations who took the floor supported the proposal, in whole or in part. Other delegations expressed support or opposition to specific elements of document SCCR/13/5, which are reflected in their interventions in the report of the meeting...

Sign the Petition to EU Parliament to Use Open Standards and Promote Interoperability

Posted on March 13, 2008
If you are a European citizen, sign the petition to "Open Parliament" and encourage the use of open standards and interoperable systems in the European ICT sector. The Open Parliament Petition states that citizens should not have to use the software of a single company in order to communicate with their elected officials or participate in the legislate process...

WIPO Copyright Committee Done For Year; Exceptions And Limitations ?Here To Stay?

Posted on March 12, 2008
"The World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee on Wednesday concluded work until next November in a way similar to recent years, with the same chair, European dominance, no agreement, and division over a proposed treaty on broadcasters? rights...

“Privacy-Invasive” Domain Name Trademark Bill Before US Congress

Posted on March 12, 2008
Sign the Petition. A new bill (S. 2661) is currently before the US Congress that would once again expand trademark rights to domain names and threaten free expression on the Internet. The bill, introduced by US Senator Snowe (R-Maine), also contains a privacy-invasive provision over the revelation of "whois" data (ICANN's online database about website owners)...

US Govt Seizes Blacklisted Domain Names of European Company for Selling Cuba Trips

Posted on March 11, 2008
"An interesting story broke recently in the NY Times about a Spanish travel company that had its domain names taken away by the US Government for selling Europeans vacations to Cuba. Even though the company's business was not targeted at the US and was lawful in its national jurisdiction, the company's websites were put on a domain name blacklist maintained by the US Treasury Department...

New Proposal At WIPO For Exceptions and Limitations Agreement; US Unconvinced (IP-Watch)

Posted on March 11, 2008
"Several nations have joined Chile in presenting a new proposal for work on limitations and exceptions to this week?s meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee. The work would include establishing an international agreement on the issue...

WIPO Copyright Committee Begins New Era With Revised Agenda, Same Chair (IP-Watch)

Posted on March 11, 2008
The World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee on Monday began a new era in the wake of a failed decade of negotiations for a broadcasters? rights treaty. But it will tackle its new agenda including limitations and exceptions to copyright with the same chairman who guided the broadcasting talks with fervour...

Corporate Reps and US Trade Officials Meet in New York to Discuss ACTA (Aaron Shaw)

Posted on March 11, 2008
?Representatives from the International Chamber of Commerce?s (ICC) Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative gathered with government officials in New York yesterday to discuss strategies for ending the international trade in fake goods...

WIPO Member States Request Agenda for Copyright Exceptions and Limitations

Posted on March 10, 2008
A group of developing countries submitted a proposal for a work program for WIPO's Standing Committee on Copyrights and Related Rights (SCCR) on 10 March 2008. The new proposal from Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua and Uruguay, calls for work on three areas: identification from members? national IP systems of models and practices on exceptions and limitations; analysis of exceptions and limitations needed to promote and disseminate creation and innovation; and establishment of an agreement on exceptions and limitations for the public interest, as a minimum in all national legislatio

Freedom of Expression at Risk by Council of Europe

Posted on March 06, 2008
The Council of Europe needs something useful to do. Although the inter-governmental organization of European states frequently makes beautiful statements about the importance of freedom of expression and other human rights, unfortunately, the actions of the CoE too frequently take another direction: censorship...

Complaint Lodged Over EU Parliament?s Exclusive Use Of Microsoft Systems (IP-Watch)

Posted on March 06, 2008
A formal complaint has been lodged with the European Parliament over how its information technology systems rely almost exclusively on software manufactured by Microsoft. Advocates of open standard software, which is developed on a not-for-profit basis, allege that the Seattle-based giant enjoys an effective monopoly or ?lock-in? within the European Union institutions...

“Conceiving an International Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright” (Hugenholtz, Okediji / March 2008)

Posted on March 06, 2008
"The task of developing a global approach to limitations and exceptions (?L&E?s?) is one of the major challenges facing the international copyright system today. As mechanisms of access, L&E?s contribute to the dissemination of knowledge, which in turn is essential for a variety of human activities and values, including liberty, the exercise of political power, and economic, social and personal advancement...

Trent Reznor Puts Fans in Charge with Successful Experimental Business Model

Posted on March 05, 2008
Trent Reznor has rocked the music world once again. The long-time front man for Nine-Inch-Nails is convinced the current music business infrastructure is broken since it requires artists to rely on labels. Reznor is looking for a new model. Last year NIN broke free from its major label and decided to go independent, look to its fans for support, and experiment with new business models made possible by the Internet...

Business, Governments See Momentum For ACTA, But EU Snags (IP-Watch)

Posted on March 04, 2008
"Critics Raise Doubts on Narrow ACTA Process. But some ACTA critics say that is not enough, and that developing countries and civil society groups not part of the inter-governmental discussions are at a disadvantage from the outset. "These talks have all been going on between a select handful of countries that will basically decide what the parameters of the agreement will be and the concerns of developing countries, the concerns of civil societies, won't be included in the final text," said Robin Gross, executive director of the civil liberties organisation IP Justice...

WIPO Development Agenda Proposals CDIP/1

Posted on March 04, 2008
Documents for discussion at the WIPO CDIP/1 Meeting in March 2008: (a) Preliminary Implementation Report with respect to the 19 proposals identified for immediate implementation by WIPO; and (b) Initial Working Document regarding the implementation of the 26 agreed proposals...

?Less Difficult? First WIPO Development Committee Meeting Begins (IP-Watch)

Posted on March 03, 2008
The ?historic? first day of the new World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) opened with a focus on procedure, a focus likely to carry through the whole first week, according to participants. ?The goal [of this week?s meeting] is to progress on the first and most important item agreed in the General Assembly last year: to develop a work programme for the implementation of the adopted recommendations,? said C...

Multilateral agreements and a TRIPS-plus world: The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), 2004 (Musungu Dutfield/Quakers)

Posted on March 02, 2008

Bilateral Agreements and a TRIPS-Plus World: The Chile-USA Free Trade Agreement, 2004 (Roffe/ICTSD)

Posted on March 02, 2008

Exploring Options and Modalities to Move the New Development Agenda Forward, 2005 (Oxford)

Posted on March 02, 2008

Education, IPRs and Fundamental Freedoms: The Right To Knowledge, 2005 (Suthersanen)

Posted on March 02, 2008

Circumventing Competition: The perverse consequences of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, 2006 (Timothy B. Lee/Show-Me-Institute)

Posted on March 02, 2008

The International Copyright System: Limitations, Exceptions and Public Interest Considerations for Developing Countries in the Digital Environment (Okediji/ UNCTAD-ICTSD)

Posted on March 02, 2008

USTR 2008 Trade Policy Agenda and 2007 Annual Report (Mar. 2008)

Posted on March 02, 2008
Annual Report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative on efforts to influence national laws of other countries to better serve US industry.

The International IP Enforcement Landscape from a Developing Country Perspective: South Center Research Paper 15

Posted on March 01, 2008

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