[European Digital Rights Initiative. Link, (CC-BY)] French Socialist MEP Françoise Castex published her draft report on private copying levies on 9 October. The biggest question that the document raises is… are you serious, Ms Castex? The policy issue being addressed…
[The following is an excerpt from a UK Intellectual Property Office request for comments on future harmonization of copyright in Europe. The full request for comments is available here.] The European Commission’s communication ‘A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights’…
[Electronic Information for Libraries, (CC-BY)] In October 2012, Directive 2012/28/EU on certain permitted uses of orphan works (known as the orphan works Directive) was adopted by Member States of the European Union (EU). The Directive sets out common rules for…
Civil society organisations from the SADC region, and around the world have condemned the SADC draft Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (Plant Breeders’ Rights) as spelling disaster for small farmers and food security in the region.…
The EU has recently released its new proposal for an update of its substantive trademark protection regime. The proposal has interesting language specifically addressing the conditions under which goods in transit infringe – regardless whether they actually are destined for…
The Africa IP Forum was held in South Africa on 25-27 February 2013. Attendees were welcomed at a cocktail on the evening of 25 February and substantive discussions were held on 26 -27 February. There were 4 plenary sessions each…
The African IP forum which was scheduled for April 2012 and was postponed in response to contested calls for a more balanced program and representation of views, has now been scheduled for the last week of February in 2013. Details for…
[Reposted from La Quadrature du Net, CC-BY-SA] Brussels, 4 Feb 2013 — Today starts “Licences for Europe”, an initiative by the European Commission to discuss the issues of today’s copyright regime. Instead of planning for a broad reform that would…
Since the publication of my post (PAIPO is dead. Long live PAIPO) last week, I have received the full text of the Ministerial Decisions passed at Brazzaville in November 2012 (AUMINST Dec. (V) (01)) from the AU. The relevant paragraph…
[Reposted from AfroLeo] “PAIPO is dead! Long live PAIPO!” Thus exclaims Afro Leo’s friend and PAIPO-watcher Caroline Ncube, who has just sent us the latest news on this very sensitive, potentially valuable proposal: Afro-IP carried an impassioned discussion on the…