A few days ago, the hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) industry was able to successfully lobby (via Halliburton) to weaken North Carolina’s proposed fracking information access rules. The result could be that trade secrets – that information that is commercially valuable because…
[Cross posted from CCUSA, Link (CC-BY)] Much of what we hear about the globalization of copyright law around the world does not favor users. The dominant trend of lengthening terms, increasing criminalization and “deterrent” penalties and expanding third party liability…
[Andy, Torrent Freak, Link (CC-BY-NC)] The controversial RedTube case in Germany has provoked an interesting response from the Ministry of Justice. Although it says the question will ultimately be answered by the European Court, the Ministry says that it believes…
On March 4, 2013, the White House announced that it disagreed with the decision of the Librarian of Congress not to allow consumers to unlock their cell phones to access other mobile networks. The White House took this position in…
[Katarzyna Rybicka, Centrum Cyfrowe, Link (CC-BY)] In December 2013 Centrum Cyfrowe has accomplished two-year research project on copyright law and social norms related to content usage. The main purpose of the study was to provide reliable knowledge about what people today think…
[Centrum Cyfrowe, Link (CC-BY)] In 2012, Poland launched the “Digital School” program, an initiative to expand the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in K-12 schools. This program includes an OER component that is the first of its kind: a 3-year-long…
The Competition Commission of India will investigate Ericsson for anticompetitive practices related to its Standard Essential Patents on smartphone technology. The competition complaint arose as part of a dispute between Ericsson and the Indian consumer electronics company Micromax. According to…
[Reposted from Department of Trade and Industry website, Link] The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies says Intellectual Property (IP) if it is correctly used and implemented can assist the country to achieve its developmental goals. He was…
Last week, 78 stakeholders submitted comments to the Department of Commerce on policy raised in its recent Green paper Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy. The green paper was written by Commerce’s Internet Policy Taskforce, created “to…
Creative Commons, the global network of non-profit organizations best known for their promotion of standard-form copyright licenses that allow creators to voluntarily waive certain exclusive rights and share their content more easily with others, has thrown its weight into the…
[UN Development Programme, Link] This study focuses on policy options available to South Africa through reform of three interrelated areas of law affecting access to HIV treatment and other essential medicines: patent, competition and medicines law. The recommended reforms are…
[Message from Lotti Rutter to email lists] On September 4, 2013, the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published the Draft National Policy on Intellectual Property, 2013, for public comment. This draft policy is an important first step…