Analysis at the intersection of intellectual
property law and the public interest.
A post by Creative Commons Poland describes the government’s Digital School initiative, a section of which involves government funding for the creation of e-textbooks. All of the books created with the funding will be “made available under the Creative Commons Attribution license or another free license – one that allows use of resources and their […]
Last week’s meeting of the WTO’s Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) saw talks proceed on a host of issues, including counterfeit goods, exceptions and limitations to copyright, and a long-running dispute over a Cuban rum trademark. US, Japan table submissions on counterfeit goods The topic of counterfeit goods resurfaced at the […]
The text of an investment chapter for the Trans Pacific Partnership proposed by the U.S. has been leaked and placed online by Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch. The definition of “investment” in Article 12.2 includes intellectual property rights. Article 12.12 places limits on a country’s ability to expropriate investments and sets rules on required compensation […]
The European Parliament has announced an “informal deal” that it says will allow greater access to orphan works. According to the announcement “According to the agreed text, a work would be deemed to be orphan if, after a ‘diligent’ search made in good faith, it was not possible to identify or locate the copyright holder. […]
China has revised its legal framework to promote compulsory licenses for patented medicines to meet public health needs. The government is considering issuing a compulsory license for tenofovir, a medicine recommended for first line treatment of HIV/AIDS, which is sold under the brand name Viread by Gilead. As reported by Reuters, the Chinese chemical firms […]
Infojustice Roundup Intellectual Property and the Public Interest Colombian Senators File Two Lawsuits Against Copyright Bill Passed to Comply with US-Colombia FTA Sens. Jorge Enrique and Camilo Robeldo have filed two lawsuits against Law 201, a copyright law introduced and passed over a two week period last May. Law 201 (known popularly as Ley Lleras […]