KEI looks at USTR letter to Wyden, and conflicts between ACTA and patent reform

On January 6, 2010, Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the USTR asking a number of questions about the U.S. negotiating objectives in ACTA. On February 28, 2010, USTR responded. The USTR response focused mostly on the official U.S. “asks,” rather than the state of the negotiating text, which also reflects also the views of other parties. For this reason, the USTR letter to Wyden only tells part of the story about what ACTA may do.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

KEI notes on the EU leak of the ACTA text

On 12 February 2010, the Council of the European Union distributed a table drawn up by the Commission Services, outlining the positions of various counties regarding civil enforcement and the special requirements relating to the Internet. A copy of this 44 page document was leaked on March 1, 2010, and is attached to this blog. A text version of the table is available from swpat.org.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

KEI comments on U.S.T.R. 2010 Special 301

KEI is one of several public health groups working with Sean Flynn on filing comments in the current U.S.T.R. request for comments on the Special 301 process (Federal Register Notice USTR-2010-0003-0129). In addition, KEI filed these comments:

KEI comments on Special 301

18 February 2010

KEI provides the following comments regarding the 2010 Special 301 Review, including but not limited to the Identification of Countries Under Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Our comments include the following points:

    Continue Reading

USTR’s new hearings on 301 list

USTR has issued an announcement for new procedures including public hearings on the 2010 Special 301 list. This is an effort to make the 301 process somewhat more open, and to provide more formal opportunities to both supporters and critics of USTR’s bilateral trade pressures to make their case. USTR’s actions are welcomed by several NGOs that have been critical of the unilateral trade pressures initiative, as it seems to provide the beginning of a more mature discussion about the objectives of trade policy, and the evidence to support different positions. Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Key dates for WIPO negotiations in 2010

On December 21, 2009, WIPO sent out a circular note (C.N 3066) indicating “provisional dates for the principal committees and bodies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that will meet in 2010”.

Here are provisional dates of key negotiations to bear in mind when planning your agenda for 2010.

SCP
WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents, SCP, (14th session): January 25-29, 2010.

WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents, SCP, (15th session): October 11-15, 2010

SCCR
Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Official Conclusions from WIPO SCCR 19

These are the Conclusions of the Nineteenth Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) held in Geneva, Switzerland from December 14 to 18, 2009. The official WIPO link to these Conclusions is: http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=130644

World Intellectual Property Organization
Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR)
Nineteenth Session
Geneva, December 14 to 18, 2009

CONCLUSIONS

LIMITATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

Continue Reading

SCCR 19: Full text of Version 3.0 of “DRAFT CONCLUSION” prepared by the Chair

Version 3.0 of the “DRAFT CONCLUSIONS” prepared by the Chair is being considered right now at the 19th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).

World Intellectual Property Organization
Standing Committee On Copyright And Related Rights (SCCR)
Nineteenth Session
Geneva, December 14 to 18, 2009

Version 3.0
December 18, 2009

DRAFT CONCLUSIONS

prepared by the Chair

LIMITATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

Continue Reading