Advocating for a world where intellectual
property law serves the public interest.

TAC Research Paper: The Economic & Social Case for Patent Law Reform in South Africa

[Lotti Rutter, TAC, Link (CC-BY-SA)] This updated research paper from the Treatment Action Campaign seeks to respond with reasoned analysis to a number of inaccurate claims that have been made by the pharmaceutical industry particularly in light of the PharmaGate scandal. The evidence highlights how South Africa’s current intellectual property system allows exploitation by foreign […]

WCL Glushko-Samuelson IP Clinic: 11 Reasons to Ignore The Old R-Word Survey

A team of four student attorneys at the Glushko-Samuelson IP Clinic has posted a nice analysis of why one of the primary pieces of evidence Dan Snyder has invoked in support of keeping his NFL team’s name is basically worthless. Author Brandon Butler

Legislators from Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand and Peru Call for Release of TPP Text

[Reposted from tppmpsfortransparency.org] Senior legislators from Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand and Peru today issued a joint letter seeking the release of the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) before it is signed, to enable detailed scrutiny and public debate. The signatories include political party leaders and legislators who currently or previously […]

Comments Posted for ‘Special 301′ Review of Foreign Nations’ Intellectual Property Policies: Rightholders Focus on India

Last Friday, an interagency committee led by the U.S. Trade Representative received comments for the 2014 Special 301 Review. This annual review is a process in which it identifies countries that allegedly “deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on […]

House of Cards: Assessing the Impact of Software Infringement on Manufacturing Competitiveness

[Cross posted from the DisCo Blog, Link] The second season of the gripping Washington drama House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, will be available on Netflix in two weeks. But this post is about a different house of cards – the study released yesterday by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) on […]

US’s “New” Proposed TPP Intellectual Property Chapter Still Requires Patents on Medicinal Forms With “Distinguishing Features”

The US has evergreened its patent proposal requiring patents on new forms of known/existing medicines by requiring patents on medicines with “distinguishing features.” This is the wine of old IP maximalism – an elixir for Big Pharma – in a new bottle. IP, health and trade activists expressed outrage in early 2011 when the proposed […]